Mike speak with Adj Prof Terry Slevin, Public Health Association of Australia CEO, ahead of mental and public health experts gathering today in Melbourne to discuss the growing number of young Australians experiencing mental illness, and encourage governments to tailor their investments in programs which help protect and promote mental wellbeing.

The Public Health Association of Australia’s inaugural Preventive Mental Health Symposium, hosted in partnership with Beyond Blue, is the first of its kind to bring together mental health and public health experts with a specific focus on preventing mental health conditions.

The National Study of Mental Health and Wellbeing found that of Australians aged 16-85 from 2020-2022, an estimated 8.5 million people, or 43% of the population, had experienced a mental disorder at some time in their life. Of these, 39% of young adults (aged 16-24) had experienced a 12-month mental disorder; up from 26% in 2007.

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