Mental Health Problems in Young People: Many Enduring Problems, a Few Proposed Solutions

Abstract

Rates of depression, self-harm and suicide in young people worldwide are approaching epidemic proportions. In Australia, almost 
one-third of those who die in the 15-24 year age group will have taken their own life, a proportion that increases each year. 
Predicting these adverse events in young people has proved to be an insoluble problem, and approaches to reducing the incidence of 
such events have clearly been ineffective. For young people, their families, friends, and school communities, the consequences can 
be particularly devastating. This keynote aims to address two main questions relevant to the mental health of young people today: 
(1) What are the main challenges you that young people are facing today?, and (2) What needs to be done to address this issue?