Data collected over the past two decades reveal an alarming increase in the prevalence of anxiety and affective disorders among young Australians aged 16-24. Despite increased government investment, youth mental healthcare services are struggling to meet the rising demand. The status quo isn't working and it's time to add a new string to our bow.
 
What's needed is a new more proactive approach that focuses on positively changing the balance of risk and protective factors that influence young people’s mental health, to promote their wellbeing and prevent them from experiencing mental health conditions in the first place. This paper outlines how this can be done at scale across Australia.

The paper calls on the Australian government to create a new National Centre for Youth Wellbeing and a Youth Wellbeing Grants Scheme that will support grassroots, State-based, and national organisations focused on the promotion of youth mental wellbeing, the prevention of mental health conditions, and building young people’s mental health literacy.