Even experts are puzzled about this...

A billion dollar proposal developed by the Federal Government’s key economic advisory board is urging schools to employ well-being counsellors to address the rising number of young people suffering from mental illness. The puzzling part for experts...why are so many young people suffering?

As we enter into the final weeks of the academic year with assessment deadlines looming and exam anxiety at an all time high - there’s a lot to wonder about whether these young people could have benefited from early intervention and social emotional education in their first few years of education, those vital formation years...

An under investment in prevention and early intervention programs has been uncovered in a draft report written by the Productivity Commission of Australia and has highlighted the very slow moving public health response to this epidemic. The statistics don’t lie. Experts are wasting time puzzled over why the numbers are so horrifyingly high - instead of taking action and acting early. Australia continues to be a leader in mental health research (the trends and findings are clear and somewhat repetitive every time!) however, we are not seeing these findings and recommendations transfer into practice or at a macro level - policy change. 

What about a national curriculum mandate for early years education and mindfulness training? After all, our young people will continue to fall below standards in reading and writing if they are neurobiologically unable to learn. 

The same report has revealed that mental illness and suicide are costing our nation an estimated $500 million per day, not to mention or specify the costs and burden on our education system. A young person with a mental illness is neurobiologically unable to learn, grow and thrive - so what are we doing about that? Can we remember that eventually these young people are sent out into the world and expected to be productive and active citizens?

Mental health is not only a health issue, it's also a very complex social and economic issue - people who are suffering are unwell, unable to participate in society and are therefore incapable of being productive citizens - costing the nation it is estimated $180 billion per year.

So, the puzzling part for experts - why are so many young people suffering from mental illness? Many argue that it is simply due to the fact that we are more aware of these ailments and therefore more likely to report and record that they exist. This could be true to some extent. However, one thing I can assure you - in my 13 years of classroom teaching, I saw and personally witnessed a very stark and obvious rise in the number of students presenting to the classroom unable to learn due to anxiety, depression or a mood disorder. This is not ok. One young person suffering is one too many. 

Can our education system be part of the solution? Can we rewrite our nation’s educational story by offering early intervention in social-emotional education? Let’s upskill the next generation in practical strategies for dealing with life’s challenges.