Mental health, the environment and being ignored top teens’ issue list

A ­national survey of 15 to 19 year-olds reveals they are frustrated that their voice is unheard in national affairs.

Stephen Christopoulos advocates for a youth advisory voice. Picture: Aaron Francis

Mental health weighs most heavily on the minds of Australia’s young people as a national issue, but climate change is quickly ­rising to challenge for top spot, a ­national survey of 15- to 19-year-olds reveals.

The 2019 Mission Australia Youth Survey also finds that young Australians, far from being disengaged from public debate, are frustrated that their voice is unheard in national affairs.

The annual survey of more than 25,000 15-19-year-olds has seen mental health quickly rise as an issue for teenage Australians. In 2016, 21.6 per cent identified mental health as a national issue, reaching 36.2 per cent this year.

The environment, however, has really taken off as a national issue, rising from the eighth-most important issue last year at 9.2 per cent to 34.2 per cent and second position in 2019.

The survey found fewer than one in 10 (7.2 per cent) felt they had a consistent voice in public affairs, and more than half (52 per cent) said they had no voice at all.

“These results clearly indicate that young people in Australia feel disenfranchised and are deeply concerned about a range of important issues,” Mission Australia chief James Toomey said “Feeling ignored is perhaps driving young people to engage in other ways to be heard, such as climate strikes.

“Young people must be part of the design of programs or services for young people. They are, after all, the experts in what it is to be a young person in Australia today.”

Monash University commerce and global studies student ­Stephen Christopoulos advocates for a youth advisory voice to federal parliament. “Young people’s views are consistently overlooked in the political debate, and they don’t factor into election policy at all,” he said.

“I think a youth advisory position in parliament would give our issues a better hearing and better representation.

“The climate strikes were such a large outpouring of emotion on an issue by young people, but the government completely ignored the message and said you should just go back to school — I think this created a sense of disillusionment for us.”

The survey also detailed the top four personal concerns of young people, which were: coping with stress (44.7 per cent), school or study problems (34.3 per cent), mental health (33.2 per cent) and body image (31 per cent).

More than one in five young people reported being bullied in the past 12 months.