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headspace – why are young people presenting for mental health care?

Careers and University, Medicine, Nursing, Occupational Therapy, Psychology

headspace is Australia’s national youth mental health foundation. It provides young Australians aged 12-25 with mental health, general health, education, employment, and alcohol and drug services. It is expected that there will be 90 headspace centres throughout Australia by 2015.

A recent article in the Medical Journal of Australia provided statistics about 21,274 headspace clients who received a centre-based service in one of the 55 headspace centres between 1 January and 30 June 2013. Of these clients, 63.7% were female and 35.6% were male, with 0.7% reporting that they were intersex, transgender or transsexual. Reasons for young people to present to a headspace centre were:

  • feeling sad or depressed (24.9%)
  • anxious(12.7%)
  • relationship problems (11.4%)
  • physical health issues (6.6%)
  • school/work problems (6.0%)
  • alcohol or other drug problems (1.7%)
  • sexual health issues (1.6%)
  • vocational concerns (1.0%)

Over two-thirds (69.3%) of the young people presenting to a headspace centre had high or very high levels of psychological distress.

headspace has a number of evidence summaries and evidence maps about how health professionals and service providers can give the best possible care to young people with mental health and substance abuse problems. headspace has job opportunities for health practitioners including psychologists, occupational therapists, social workers, mental health nurses, general practitioners and GP registrars.

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