Youth Week WA presents an opportunity to reflect on the charitable work being delivered to support and improve the mental health of young Western Australians.
Amid this year’s Youth Week WA, running from April 10 to 17, we shed light on organisations that are helping to tell young people’s stories, alleviate food insecurity, and address psychosocial implications of physical injury.
The Y WA plays a critical role in providing a safe space for young people to share their mental health experiences, despite not being a direct provider of mental health services.
Since 2019, the organisation has been delivering its video series Inside Our Minds during Mental Health Week, which involves sharing the stories of young people from traditionally underrepresented communities to destigmatise mental health and encourage open conversations.
Funded by Mineral Resources, the initiative releases a video on each day of Mental Health Week across the Y WA’s social media channels and key locations in Perth, including Northbridge Piazza, Yagan Square, and the Curtin University campus.
In 2024, seven young people with disabilities shared their lived mental health experiences, while previous years have tackled other important themes such as the mental health experiences of cultural and linguistically diverse young people, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people, and LGBTQIA+ young people.
"WA’s mental health crisis continues to grow, and the need for accessible services, especially for young people in remote and underserved areas, remains urgent." The Y WA CEO Tim McDonald
The Y WA chief executive Tim McDonald said the Inside Our Minds series gave young people a dedicated platform for their voices to be heard.
“Every year when we work on a new Inside Our Minds series, we have the privilege of providing a platform for young people to share their lived mental health experiences,” Dr McDonald said.
“At the Y WA, one of our primary goals is to assist our youth community to flourish and give them a voice, so this initiative has become a crucial event in our annual calendar.”
The Y WA's Inside Our Minds video series 2024 was showcased at locations such as Yagan Square.
MinRes psychologist and head of mental health Chris Harris said MinRes recognised the importance of partnering with organisations such as the Y WA to encourage open conversations and break down stigma surrounding mental health.
“At MinRes we know that mental health is just as important as physical health. We aim to provide an environment that actively promotes taking care of your mental health and providing opportunities for our employees to seek support when they need it,” Mr Harris said.
“We’re proud to join forces with several organisations in Western Australia, like the Y WA to extend that support to the wider community.
"We believe that working in collaboration with others helps break down the stigma surrounding mental health and build understanding.”
The Y WA also delivers a case management service to help young people build their support networks, overcome challenges, stay in education, and contribute to their communities.
Through regular meetings with a case worker, young people receive guidance on navigating complex issues such as housing, education, and emotional wellbeing.
The ultimate aim of the case management service is to empower young people to create their own support systems and develop the skills they need to move forward in life.
This service supported 138 young people during the 2024 financial year, many of whom reported significant improvements in their confidence, life management and overall mental health.
One young person who accessed the Y WA’s case management service said it was helpful in providing life skills and productivity skills.
“Kim (their case worker) has helped me move forward with my life in a more positive manner and helped me achieve goals I didn’t think I could have achieved,” they said.
“I would recommend case management support to anyone who needs this kind of support.”
The Y WA's case management service aims to empower young people to create their own support systems.
Another young person said they would also recommend the service to any young person in need of supportive guidance.
“I’ve worked with Tahnee (their case worker) for over a year now and it's been amazing. I've been able to get back into school through TAFE,” they said.
“Tahnee has helped me a lot with housing and the struggles I've had along the way. Tahnee has been incredibly amazing and has listened to me and respected me and my boundaries.”
The Y WA’s case management service is available at three locations – the Base@Belmont Youth Centre, the Y HQ and the Armadale Hub – and it is also being offered at several local high schools across the City of Armadale, City of Belmont, City of Vincent, and Shire of Serpentine Jarrahdale.
“By amplifying their voices, the Y WA ensures that young people across WA are seen, heard, and supported in their mental health journey.” The Y WA CEO Tim McDonald
Dr McDonald said that while these services have made a positive impact, there was still more work to be done.
“WA’s mental health crisis continues to grow, and the need for accessible services, especially for young people in remote and underserved areas, remains urgent,” Dr McDonald said.
“There is also a growing need for more case management in schools. Recent reports show that mental health and behavioural issues in schools are on the rise, creating more pressure on teachers and contributing to classroom disruptions.
“By amplifying their voices, the Y WA ensures that young people across WA are seen, heard, and supported in their mental health journey.”
Food insecurity damages the mind
Food insecurity is at an all-time high amid the current cost-of-living crisis and this issue is having significant impact on the mental health outcomes of young people.
Hunger and malnutrition impair brain function, and a lack of reliable access to nutritious food can lead to chronic stress, anxiety and depression.
Poor mental health can make it more difficult for an individual to focus on improving other areas of their life, such as maintaining employment, securing housing or seeking assistance, and this only worsens food insecurity.
Foodbank WA is addressing this issue by providing immediate access to food for people in need, including the youth of Western Australia, and by doing so, the charity is able to reduce stress and anxiety, and increase focus on other aspects of life.
Food insecurity is rarely a stand-alone issue and for the past two years, Foodbank WA has been working with the Financial Wellbeing Collective to offer customers more of a wrap-around service.
The Financial Wellbeing Collective was integrated into Foodbank WA’s Perth branch nearly one year ago, where their financial advice has been providing valuable guidance, as well as direction for young people to other services they may require to get back on track.
In the 2024 financial year, Foodbank WA distributed more than five million kilograms of food across the state.
By relieving the burden of food costs, the charity has been able to help young individuals to redirect their limited financial resources toward other critical areas, such as healthcare, housing, therapy, or social activities.
There is a long path ahead to breaking the cycle of food insecurity and nourishing the mental health of young people and children with nutritious food, but Foodbank WA is persistently working towards solving this crisis.
In 2024, the organisation transitioned to providing free fruit and vegetables to customers, recognising that a healthy, balanced diet is becoming increasingly unaffordable for Western Australians.
Foodbank WA also provides well-priced protein sources, and general grocery items, alleviating the stress so many people now associate with the weekly food shop.
Professor Helen Milroy AM (left) and Professor Fiona Wood AO.
Mental health implications for young burn victims
The shock, distress, and extreme pain experienced by young people who suffer a serious burn injury can result in long-term mental health outcomes.
The impact is more than physical, leaving children in these situations at high risk of psychosocial issues. Within just the first two weeks of hospital admission, children may experience acute distress disorder, intrusive thoughts, hyperarousal, dissociation, and avoidance.
27 per cent of child burn survivors experience lifelong depression and 38 per cent experience anxiety
Hospital admissions for mental health diagnoses after a burn are three times higher for children aged five to nine years and five times higher for children aged 10 to 14 years, regardless of burn and scar severity.
The psychological effects can stay with children into the future with 27 per cent of child burn survivors experiencing lifelong depression, 38 per cent experiencing anxiety and about 10 per cent of children suffering Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) between four and 14 years after a burn injury.
With funding support from Perth Children’s Hospital Foundation, renowned burns specialist Professor Fiona Wood has been conducting world-leading research which could revolutionise clinical care for children with burns.
Professor Wood has teamed up with mental health researcher Professor Helen Milroy to shed light on the relationship between long-term physical and mental health impacts of burns.
“We will have a much better understanding of the mental health impacts of burn trauma on a child, and how the child and their family, as well as the burn, all link together,” said Professor Wood.
“This level of understanding will provide a platform to much better tailor burn care for each child that attends Perth Children’s Hospital, so that we minimise the long-term health effects of the burn.”
Professor Milroy said, “Children who have a serious burn are much more likely to have worse mental health outcomes [than those who don’t], but they might not realise this for several years.”
Professor Fiona Wood.
PCH has treated the burn injuries of nearly 5,000 Western Australian children over the past few years, with the majority of those children under the age of five years and a high proportion being from Aboriginal and rural communities.
Researchers are aiming to unlock the connection between psychosocial and biological factors such as cortisol levels, systemic inflammation, and metabolic changes. Integrating psychosocial factors with physiological data will be a first in paediatric burn care and will pave the way for more personalised, holistic burn care, leading to better long-term outcomes.
“Burns are one of the most traumatic and devastating childhood injuries,” PCHF chief executive Carrick Robinson said.
“PCHF is proud to support this world-leading research which could help in the recovery of children in WA and around the world.”
