What is mental health?

Mental health refers to your mental, emotional and social state of wellbeing. Good mental health means:

• feeling well
• recognising your abilities
• being able to handle life's usual stresses and deal with challenges
• being productive
• able to connect with others

When young people have poor mental health, it can be harder for them to live happy and successful lives.

Lots of teenagers and young people struggle with mental health conditions such as depression and anxiety. Some may try to self-medicate with drugs and alcohol. This is not a solution — while it may seem to give short-term relief, it causes symptoms to get worse.

Many adult mental health disorders start before the age of 14 years.

Why is my mental health important?

It is important for you to have good mental health so you can:

• feel confident and capable of dealing with life
• adapt to change in a healthy way
• feel good about yourself
• express and manage your emotions appropriately
• improve your relationships with other people

If your mental health is poor, life can seem a lot more difficult. You may feel like you are not coping well.

It's common to have ups and downs through the course of your life. Many people have mental health challenges from time to time — how you manage these challenges is what is important.

If you feel like life never gets any easier and there is nothing you can do about it, it's possible that you could have a mental health disorder.

Mental illnesses, such as depression, anxiety and eating disorders, affect how you think, act and feel. Like many other illnesses, they can be managed and treated with the right support.

What can affect my mental health?

Common factors that can affect mental health and wellbeing in teenagers include:

• your home environment and family relationships
• school, work and other activities
• your friendships and how safe you feel with people in your life
• your sexuality and gender identity
• your physical health and feelings about your body
• alcohol and drug use
• your online experiences, including social media use

Teenagers can struggle with a range of issues. You may be more likely to have problems with your mental health if you:

• have a family history of mental health disorders
• are under a lot of stress
• have lost a loved one
• have experienced relationship breakups or problems with friends or family
• are living with physical injury, pain or sleep problems
• have experienced bullying (including cyberbullying) or abuse

When should I see a doctor?

It is important to reach out for support or see your doctor if you feel like your mood or behaviour is affecting your daily life.

Many teenagers and young people feel down or upset at times. You may have thoughts such as:

• 'I feel alone'
• 'I hate myself'
• 'I'm being bullied'
• 'Nobody wants me'
• 'I am not lovable'
• 'I feel angry all the time'
• 'I am too sensitive for the world'
• 'I'm in an abusive relationship'
• 'I'm too fat' or 'I'm too skinny'

If you feel you need support or you are just not coping in your daily life, it's important to seek help. You could speak to:

• loved ones — if you feel comfortable
• your doctor
• a psychologist
• your school counsellor
• a teacher
• a community leader or mentor

You should also seek support if you:

• are drinking too much
• think you have a drug problem
• are being sexually abused
• are acting in ways that put your safety at risk

One of the most serious mental health issues you can have is feeling hopeless, wanting to hurt yourself or having thoughts about suicide. If you are self-harming or having suicidal thoughts, it's important you get help straight away.

Suicide is the leading cause of death for people aged 15 to 24 years old in Australia.

How can I improve my mental health?

Mental health issues for teenagers can usually be managed or treated. The earlier you improve your mental health, the better the result. There's plenty you can do for yourself, and there's plenty that other people can do to help.

Here are some tips to get you started:

• Eat well, get enough sleep and exercise regularly.
• Talk to an adult you trust if you are feeling sad or anxious.
• Cut down on drugs and alcohol — these tend to make things worse, not better.
• Learn some relaxation techniques to help you deal with stress, such as mindfulness or meditation.
• Spend time with others.
• Do things that you enjoy, such as listening to music or hanging out with friends.
• Do things that are meaningful, aligned with your values or that help someone else.

Resources and support

If you or someone you know is having suicidal thoughts, there are crisis lines available. You can call:

• Beyond Blue — for anyone needing to talk to someone about their mental health, call 1300 22 4636.
• Lifeline — support for anyone having a personal crisis, call 13 11 14.
• Suicide Call Back Service — for anyone thinking about suicide, call 1300 659 467.

If you need someone to talk to, or want to find out more online, here are some organisations that can help:

• ClearlyMe is an app designed for teens aged 12 to 17, providing coping strategies and tools to help with negative thinking, low mood and difficulties relaxing.
• Kids Helpline — telephone and online counselling for ages 5 to 25, call 1800 55 1800.
• headspace — online, in-person and phone support for people aged 12 to 25.
  • headspace also has mental health information and resources for multicultural young people.
• ReachOut — youth online mental health service.
• Medicare Mental Health — for advice and to get connected to local mental health services, you can call 1800 595 212. Check the operating times.
• Share your experiences on My Circle, a free social platform for people aged between 12 and 25 years and supported by Kids Helpline counsellors.

If you are experiencing depression related to your sexuality or gender identity (LGBTQI+), QLife provides counselling and referral support for LGBTQI+ people. You can call them on 1800 184 527.

Languages other than English

• Transcultural Mental Health Centre has many resources about wellbeing and mental health in different languages.
• This Way Up has translated resources on mental health topics.

Information for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander peoples

• Yarn Safe has mental health and wellbeing information.
• WellMob has more mental health information and resources.
• 13YARN provides crisis support over the phone on 13 92 76.