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Common mental health concerns for young people

Information on anxiety, depression, eating disorders, drug and alcohol use, feeling unsafe, discrimination, and bullying. Emergency help(opens in a new window)

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We can all feel stressed or worried sometimes. It’s a normal part of coping with challenges. But sometimes, feelings of anxiety won’t go away and can impact on your life.

If anxiety is stopping you doing the things you need or want to do, it’s a good idea to talk to someone about your feelings or get help. With the right support, things can get better.

More on the signs of anxiety, when and how to seek help:

It’s normal to feel sad or upset sometimes, especially after a stressful or difficult time. Depression can be different for everyone but commonly involves feeling unhappy, losing interest in things, experiencing negative thoughts and withdrawing from family and friends.

If feelings of sadness or hopelessness don’t go away, it is a good idea to talk to someone about your feelings.

Self-harm is when someone deliberately hurts their body. This can happen once, or it can be repeated and become difficult to stop. Self-harm should be taken seriously. Self-harm might give relief for a moment, but it doesn’t help fix the problem. With the right help, people can learn more effective ways to cope.

Talking to a trusted adult (including someone at school) is always a great first step. You can find out more about self-harm and ways to seek help at headspace(opens in a new window).

Not everyone who self-harms wants to take their life. However, many young people who self-harm have suicidal thoughts.

Most young people who have suicidal thoughts(opens in a new window) may not actually want to die, they just can’t imagine another way out of what they are going through. Suicidal thoughts are an indication you should seek help.

With support, things can feel better. This is why it’s really important to reach out for help if you or a friend are experiencing suicidal thoughts. You can talk to a trusted adult, including someone at your school or if you need to speak with someone urgently, contact:

If you or anyone you know needs immediate assistance, contact emergency services on 000.

If you need to speak to someone urgently:

Eating disorders can happen to anyone, regardless of gender. Strict diets, skipping meals, or binge eating can impact on every part of your life.

People don’t choose to have an eating disorder. It can be a response to how they are feeling or something they have experienced.

There’s lots of advice and support to help with recovery from eating disorders. Young people can:

There are often strong relationships between mental health and drug use, but it’s not always direct or simple.

There are many reasons why people might use drugs, some of the common connections include:

Understanding how drug use and mental health might be connected can be helpful. Taking time to think about your mental health, emotions, moods and feelings at the same time as your drug use can be a way to see if there are any patterns or links.

Part of becoming in an adult is being legally allowed to drink when you are 18. Learning how to have alcohol in a way that is positive for you and others is a normal part of growing up. If you think you or some else’s drinking is becoming a problem, learn more about signs you might have a drinking problem(opens in a new window).

More on drug and alcohol use and where to go for help,:

It’s common to have friendship issues or feel lonely or isolated sometimes during your school years.

It might not feel like it, but most people will experience feelings of loneliness or isolation at some point when they are young and throughout their lives. You can feel lonely anywhere, any time, no matter how many people you around you.

Dating violence is when someone you are seeing hurts you physically, emotionally or sexually.

Sexual assault is when you are physically or verbally forced, threatened or tricked into doing sexual things when you don’t want to.

Dating violence and sexual assault are never okay. It can be hard to leave an abusive relationship or speak up after an assault. It is never your fault and there are people that can help you.

If you or a friend have experienced dating violence or sexual assault, you can call the Sexual Assault Crisis Line(opens in a new window) at any time on 1800 806 292. You can always speak to a trusted adult (including at school) for support.

More on dating, sex and consent and where to go for help:

If you need help urgently, call the police on 000.

Family violence is when you or a family member feel unsafe or at risk of becoming unsafe because someone close to you is hurting you, controlling you or making you feel afraid. It could be your partner, family member, carer or parent making you feel this way.

This doesn’t always mean they’re hurting you physically. Visit What’s okay at home to learn more about family violence.

There’s support for anyone experiencing or who is afraid of family violence.

If something bad is happening at home or you don’t feel safe, speak to a trusted adult at school. Or you can call:

Discrimination and harassment are never ok. You should never be treated unfairly or harassed because of your gender, sexuality, culture, race or disability.

If you or a friend feel that you are being discriminated against or harassed, you can do something about it. You can reach out to a trusted adult within the school so they can take steps to protect you.

If you’re being bullied, or know someone who is being bullied, you’re not alone. As well as family and friends, you can talk to people at school who can help stop the bullying.

Information on bullying and advice if you or someone you know is being bullied:

The Department of Education has developed tips and resources for students (secondary) to be safe on social media(opens in a new window), including:

Being online and screen time are part of everyday life, but small changes can make a big difference for your mental health.

ScrollSafe provides quick and practical resources so you and your friends can take charge of your digital habits and look after your wellbeing.

If you or a friend need help with mental health

Find out where to get help if you’re worried about your mental health or want to help a friend.

Education & training

Updated 26 March 2026

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