Today is National headspace Day, which puts the issue of young Australians’ mental
health in the spotlight.
National Headspace Day draws attention to a significant issue across North East Victoria, and
encourages young people to discuss their mental health and take steps to improve their wellbeing.
Nationals Senator for Victoria Bridget McKenzie encouraged young Australians in Victoria, particularly those in regional areas, to take part in National headspace Day by “attending a local event talking and sharing ideas with family and friends, and by learning tips to help build and maintain a healthy headspace.
In Albury on Friday, there is The VIBE Youth Wellness Festival, a fantastic local initiative organised by the Headspace Albury/Wodonga Youth Reference Group which encourages young people to unite and connect with other young people and participate in healthy living activities such as yoga.
“About 560,000 Australian children and adolescents are estimated to have a mental illness and one in four young Australians aged 16 to 24 experiences mental illness in any given year,” Senator McKenzie said.
“Young people need to look after their mental health and wellbeing on an ongoing basis. To help with this, headspace National has released wellbeing kits, with seven tips for a healthy headspace.”
Minister for Health, Greg Hunt said the Liberal-National Government is committed to supporting headspace, and to “giving young people access to services early in life, to help reduce the duration and impact of mental illness.”
“I want our young people to know they are not alone on their journey, and that headspace is there to deliver quality frontline support and coordinate the right interventions for people who are at risk,” he said.
“In 2019–20, the Liberal National Government will provide almost $120 million across the 111 headspace services across Australia, and we committed $111.3 million over seven years in the 2019–20 Budget to expand the headspace network to 145 services by 2021.”
For more information on the day and how to be involved, along with the
digital wellbeing kits, visit www.headspace.org.au.
Follow headspace on social media and share your favourite tip using
#headspacetips and #headspaceday.