With 300 referrals a month, Dandenong and Narre Warren forms one of youth mental health provider headspace’s busiest regions in Australia.
But many more young people still need to ask for help, says headspace clinical lead Christina Molina.
Ms Molina is one of the guest speakers at a free public mental health forum staged at Dandenong High School on Wednesday 21 August.
She looks forward to sharing what young people are going through, and how headspace can support them and their families.
“One of the most helpful bits of advice we can give is it’s OK to ask for help, that you’re not alone.
“For young people, if they’re going through mental health difficulties they often feel they’re the only ones.
“And if someone finds out there’s still a lot of taboos. Many think ‘I don’t want people to think I’m crazy’.
“We want to let people know it’s OK to reach out.”
The prevalence shows in the stats.
In the past year, the headspace clinics in the South East held 9000-plus appointments with its doctors, drug and alcohol support and peer support workers, and other services.
Ms Molina stresses that the service supports the whole family, not just the young person.
Her advice to parents is to seek help for their child earlier rather than later. Don’t wait until you’re burnt out and have reached your limit.
“We see quite a lot of young people whose whole family is experiencing mental health difficulties.”
The service works with young people with refugee and asylum seeker backgrounds.
Many suffer transgenerational trauma, and they ponder their self-identity betwixt two different cultures.
It’s a ripple-effect across pressure-points, such as cyberbullying and face-to-face bullying, study and finding work.
“It’s not just one area. If it affects one, it often affects all areas of a young person’s life,” Ms Molina said.
The service also reaches out to schools to assist students and their teachers.
“There’s a lot of pressure for teachers to be everything at times such as being a counsellor and pseudo-parent.
“They don’t need to be everything and it’s OK to ask for help.”
The keys for young people’s mental health is belonging – with supports, schooling and employment, and positive peer relationships.
The Mental Health Forum is held by Rotary Club of Greater Dandenong.
Other speakers include psychiatrist and author Greg de Moore, and educator Sara Villiers of The Metanoia Movement.
It is at Melaleuca Theatre, Dandenong High School, David Street, Dandenong on Wednesday 21 August, 7pm. Free entry, gold coin donations for mental health research (via Australian Rotary Health) are welcome.
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