The federal government has announced a $110m package targeting youth anxiety and depression, including $46m in funding to a beyondblue program to teach students about good mental health in early learning, primary and secondary schools.
Online and phone support services including Kids Helpline and ReachOut will share an extra $1.8m in funding over two years, while $13.5m has been allocated to the Orygen National Centre of Excellence in Youth Mental Health.
The executive director of Orygen, psychiatrist Patrick McGorry, said the funding would help to maintain youth mental health services, including Headspace centres throughout Australia.
“The announcement shows that the health minister Greg Hunt has been listening to the sector and this funding will mean vital support services for young people can keep going,” McGorry said. “We are very grateful for that support because we need to keep this early intervention going.”
But he said only about 60% of young Australians had access to a Headspace centre. The funding announced on Monday would not provide for any new centres, he said.
– Melissa Davey, The Guardian
Read more: Government Tackles Youth Anxiety and Depression with $110m Package
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