Mission Australia’s annual Youth Survey has been released, revealing that the biggest issues for young people are the environment, equity and discrimination, the economy, and mental health.
This is the largest survey of young people in Australia, with 19,501 young people aged 15 to 19 participating.
Helen Connealy, CEO of Sir David Martin Foundation, congratulated Mission Australia on the 2023 survey.
“To help young people in crisis, we need to know what issues are affecting them. The Youth Survey gives us such unique and valuable insight into what matters to young people. We are so proud to partner with Mission Australia to support young people when they need it most,” she said.
At a glance
- The top issues identified by young people in 2023 were the environment (44.0%), equity and discrimination (31.4%), the economy and financial matters (31.2%) and mental health (30.3%).
- The biggest personal challenges for young people were school related challenges (49%), mental health challenges (24%) and interpersonal relationship challenges (21%).
- The top 3 personal challenges for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people were coping with stress (32.1%), mental health (31.8%) and school or study problems (29.5%).
Mental health, alcohol and drugs
Alcohol and drug use affected a smaller number of young people but was still noted as a significant issue. Over 1 in 10 young people cited alcohol and other drugs as one of the most important issues in Australia today (12.1%).
Amplifying the voices of young people
Sir David Martin Foundation supports services that meet young people where they are and give them the help they need.
The Youth Survey is a unique opportunity to hear the issues that are most important to young people so that we can better help them when they need it. By listening to the issues they are concerned about and amplifying their voices we hope to ensure their valuable input is not forgotten.
