New research has found that over 50 per cent of young people living in regional, rural and remote areas of Australia are worried about their future, however when compared to their city counterparts they are less likely to seek support.*
In the nationally representative survey of 1000 young people by youth mental health organisation ReachOut , 73 per cent of young people living in metro areas indicated they would talk to someone about their stress about the future, compared to just over 62 per cent of young people in regional, rural and remote areas.
Almost half of young people living in metro areas said they would go online for support, compared to 40 per cent of young people living in regional, rural and remote areas.
Ashley de Silva, CEO of ReachOut, said that future stress could have a major impact on the mental health of young people in regional areas if they did not seek support.
“Our new research has found that for most young people in regional, rural and remote Australia stress about the future is one of their top concerns. For 14 per cent it is their number one concern right now.
“Young people across Australia are concerned about what their futures are going to look like in terms of what jobs will be available, what kind of lifestyle they will be able to afford, and of course issues such as climate change.
“We know that factors such as uncertainty, economic recession and the constant changes brought about by COVID-19 restrictions have in many cases exacerbated this stress about the future. Importantly, when stress is left untreated it can have a significant impact on a young person’s mental health.
“Traditionally access to mental health services have been challenging for young people in regional areas. These findings are an opportunity to remind young people in regional, rural and remote areas that support is available for them for free, 24/7 via ReachOut.com including a range of content and peer support forums, no matter where they live.
“I also encourage young people in regional areas to talk to those that they trust about what’s going on for them and to make an appointment with their GP if they feel they need additional support.”
ReachOut has recently released updated support materials for young people on future stress.
