Many young people across Australia are experiencing a mental health crisis but those living in regional, rural and remote communities find the challenges greater and support harder to find.
Many of these youths are often left without help until they reach crisis point.
On Wednesday, April 15 and Thursday, April 16 batyr held a two-day workshop, ‘Regional & Rural Youth Voices: Shaping the Future of Mental Health’, at Swinburne University in Hawthorn.
The event placed regional young people’s voices at the forefront, speaking openly about the barriers they have faced and providing solutions for change to better support them.
Shepparton local and youth mental health advocate Nicholas Grant said solutions that combatted the stigma around mental health would encourage more people struggling to speak up.
“There’s quite a lot of stigma around mental health and seeking help,” he said.
“Having solutions where there is no stigma surrounding them, no social consequence of using them and it being an everyday thing that people can use if they need.
“The would be fantastic.”
Suicide rates are twice as high in regional, rural and remote communities compared to metro.
This event raised awareness for greater investment into prevention, earlier access and a system that worked for all young people — regardless of where they lived.
“We’re not being left behind and it’s great to know,” Mr Grant said.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle attended day two of the event, participating in a round-table discussion with the young people leading these conversations.
Their presence brought global attention to the seriousness of youth mental health and the urgent need to address the inequalities young people outside major cities faced.
“They’re wanting to understand the issues that young people face in the modern world that older generations didn’t face,” he said.
“I quote Prince Harry. ‘We created a world that sets us up to fail in the online world, so the previous generation has created a social platform for us that’s left us more isolated than ever.’”
While the workshop has created a safe space for connection and conversation, its impact extends far beyond these two days.
“As young people, we’re not unheard,” Mr Grant said.
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