Headspace Bendigo's tips for supporting young people's wellbeing

Headspace Bendigo offers a variety of services to those aged between 12 and 25, with four core streams of:

• Mental Health

• General Health

• Alcohol and Other Drugs

• Education, Employment and other services

As well as these, headspace Bendigo is regularly involved in community events, providing education sessions and engaging the youth of the community in the work we do.

Our HEY Project worker provides education sessions on Gender Diversity and other LGBTIQ+ related topics for schools or workplaces.

Youth mental health is certainly one of Australia’s biggest health and economic challenges, with one in four young people experiencing mental health difficulties at any one time.

Young people face many stressors from day to day, and at times this can be overwhelming and difficult to manage. As such, it is important as community organisations that we are aware of how to identify stress, anxiety or other mental health conditions in young people and help them navigate through this difficult time.

Warning signs to look out for in young people include:

• Not enjoying or not wanting to be involved in things they normally enjoy

• Changes in appetite and/or sleeping patterns

• Being easily irritated or angry for no reason

• A drop in performance at school, TAFE, university or work

• Risky behaviour that they would usually avoid, such as taking drugs or drinking Too much alcohol

• Experiencing difficulties with their concentration

• Seeming unusually stressed, worried, down or crying for no reason

• Expressing negative, distressing, bizarre or unusual thoughts

If you notice the above signs in a young person, please encourage them to:

• Be physically active

• Take time to relax and unwind

• Talk to friends and family

• Sleep and eat well

• Relax

• Be informed and work on coping strategies

• Seek help from a mental health professional or GP

Some apps that can help with various mental health issues include:

• Smiling Mind

• Mindshift

• What’s Up?

• Calm Harm

• Beyondblue Check In App

• ReachOut Breathe

As well as the apps listed, there are various websites which young people can get information and use to help them prevent and manage mental health problems such as depression and anxiety such as:

• BeyondBlue

• Headspace

• RUOK?

• MoodGym

• E-Couch

• Beacon 2.0

• BluePages

If you know of any young person who needs support, headspace Bendigo is open 9am-5pm, Monday to Friday, at 78-80 Pall Mall, Bendigo.

If young people have difficulty accessing our service, please encourage them to utilise eheadspace.org.au.

eheadspace is a confidential, free and secure space where young people aged 12 to 25 years and their family can web chat, email or speak on the phone with a qualified youth mental health professional. The service is available from 9am to 1am.