Early Mental Health: Australia's New Approach

0:00It's April 18th. This is Sydney News today, your AI-powered local news. Mental health for young Aussies has been dropping for two decades now, with depression and anxiety diagnoses exploding, suicides even the top killer for youth here, and in other spots worldwide. Experts say, anxiety hits early, with the average first diagnosis around 11 years old. The fix ain't wrapping kids in bubble wrap. Top psychiatrist, Patrick McGory pushes exposing them to an acceptable level of risk, like tackling overnight camps or public speaking gigs, instead of letting them skip out. This flips the script on what many parents and teachers thought was best, naming the fear and facing it head on. That approach lines up with solid evidence for jumping in early on kid mental health struggles. Avoiding stress just makes it worse down the line, pros warn. New Australia first research from the Black Dog Institute backs this up hard. They tracked over 6,000 students from year 8 through 11 across more than 130 schools.

1:02One in four showed high or worsening mental health, 26% with anxiety symptoms, 19% with depression signs. But by year 8, issues were often locked in. Strong friendships in that sense of belonging early in high school cut those risks big time. Meanwhile, New South Wales Education Minister Pru Car notes all public schools already tap into top evidence-based well-being programs, standardizing, support where principals call for it. It's a smart pivot to keep our kids resilient.