Young Australians Concerned about Alcohol, Drugs and Mental Health
A new study, which surveyed nearly 22,000 15- to 16-year-olds, sheds light on the concerns of Australian teens. Young Aussies identified alcohol and drugs (29%) as the most important issue in Australia today, followed by equity and discrimination (27%) and mental health (21%). This new report does not only show the issues that teenagers find most concerning in their country, but also provides information about the teenagers' personal concerns. Regarding personal concerns, the top choices included coping with stress (44%), school/study problems (38%) and body image issues (31%).
“It’s important that we give young people a voice and that we feed those concerns into the policy making process. Young people are our future, their hopes and dreams are our hopes and dreams. It is only right that we make sure we are supporting them on their journey as they transition from childhood to adulthood,” said Catherine Yeomans, CEO of Mission Australia.