$50 boost to support headspace

MORE young Australians battling mental ill-health will be able to get help from the experts at headspace, with Scott Morrison to today announce a $50 million cash injection to the lifesaving service.

The Prime Minister Scott Morrison is vowing the money will fund an extra 14,000 mental health services each year at headspace’s 107 youth mental health hubs throughout Australia, The new money will help centres employ more clinical staff and reduce waiting times. An extra $12m will be spent on digital support service eHeadspace, for clients who can’t access centres or prefer the privacy of online.

The multimillion-dollar boost is on top of the $95.7 million per year the Government has already committed to the 107 headspace centres throughout the nation.

With more than three quarters of mental health problems starting before the age of 25, headspace centres offer free access to psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers as well as doctors and nurses for young Australians aged 12 to 25. New research, released last week, revealed that one third of young Australians are reporting high or very high levels of psychological distress – more than three times the number about a decade ago.