The rising cost of living is having a big impact on young people’s mental health.

With indexation increasing debt repayment and the Gold Coast rental market becoming exceedingly unaffordable, how are young people – considered most vulnerable given factors such as casual work, student debt, and unstable housing – coping with the cost-of-living crisis?

This week, headspace Southport and headspace Upper Coomera teamed up with the Griffith University Gold Coast Student Guild (GCSG) to help by hosting a free on-campus event, Mind & Money (27 August). The event offered expert advice from local professionals in finance, career development, student wellbeing, and mental health as well as free LinkedIn headshots.

The goal of this event was to offer young people tips on how to get ahead during the cost-of-living crisis and, more immediately, how to navigate the big feelings that come with it while taking care of their mental health.

This event, inspired by headspace National’s Mind & Money campaign, comes at a time when 50% of young people aged 18-25 say financial instability is a concern that needs to be urgently addressed and 2 in 5 say housing affordability is the next most urgent issue (headspace National Youth Mental Health Survey).

“To be honest, everything is expensive. I feel like the only thing that isn’t going up is my income and my food is going up as well,” said Austan Beauchamp, a first -year Griffith University student and Mind & Money participant.

headspace’s Youth Advisory Council played an important role in consulting on this event by choosing the panellists and designing questions that addressed the most pressing topics with which young people needed support, given today’s economic climate.

Panellists included Emma Annand, Financial Counsellor with UnitingCare, John Gilders, one of the Gold Coast’s most reputable Career Development Practitioners, Sarah McDonald, Wellbeing Coordinator for the Griffith University GCSG, and Lissy Suthers, Social Worker and Team Leader at headspace Upper Coomera.

The panel was led by youth moderators Ethan Burton (age 18) and Priya Virdee-Hero (age 19) of headspace’s Youth Advisory Council.

The hour-long Q&A panel sparked validating conversations around topics such as managing feelings of financial dooms day and what to do if you regret your degree choice to more practical tips like understanding how payment services, like After Pay, can positively or negatively affect young people. It also shed light on Griffith University’s free financial, social, and emotional support services available to students.

“The world is increasingly engaging with online communication, which at times can be overwhelming when looking for support on a specific concern like finances,” said Lissy Suthers, Team Leader for headspace Upper Coomera. “Forums and panels like this are helpful because they are targeted and allow information and solutions to focus on the topic, rather than exposure to 1000 responses to vague or harmful opinions.”

After the panel – as a complimentary lunch was served and lucky door prizes from local sponsors including Bunnings Southport, Dendy’s Southport, Dominos Southport, and Holey Moley at Surfers Paradise were passed through the crowd – young people could be seen connecting over their shared feelings of anxiety and stress and sharing tips on how to cope (a benefit of this in-person event).

“This event made me feel really encouraged on how to balance the pros and cons of life,” said Simone King, a Griffith University student and Mind & Money participant. “Sometimes you just need to hear it, even though you know these things, so I appreciated that.”

To access free, inclusive, and confidential mental health support on the Gold Coast, young people can reach out to headspace Southport at 07 5509 5900 (headspace.org.au/headspace-centres/southport) or headspace Upper Coomera at 07 5600 1999 (headspace.org.au/headspace-centres/upper-coomera).

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For headspace media enquires please contact:

Avery Price, headspace Southport, Marketing and Communications Officer, 0474 746 043, [email protected]

For Lives Lived Well media enquiries please contact:

Lisa Maynard, Lives Lived Well, Marketing and Communications Manager, 0428 433 572, [email protected]

About headspace Southport and headspace Upper Coomera

headspace Southport and headspace Upper Coomera are free, inclusive, and accessible mental health support service centres for young people aged 12-25 years old, operated by Lives Lived Well. Located on the Gold Coast, both centres are places where young people can get free and confidential support for their mental health, access non-judgemental information and support around drugs or alcohol, and get practical support with work and study.

headspace Southport also offers a free GP and an early psychosis program with wrap-around support for young people who are experiencing an early episode of psychosis or are at risk of developing psychosis.

Learn more about headspace Southport at headspace.org.au/headspace-centres/southport/ and headspace Upper Coomera at headspace.org.au/headspace-centres/upper-coomera/

About headspace

headspace is the National Youth Mental Health Foundation, which provides early intervention mental health services to 12-25-year-olds. headspace has 150 centres across Australia in metropolitan, regional and remote areas and online and phone support services through eheadspace. headspace can help young people with mental health, physical health (including sexual health), alcohol and other drug services, and work and study support. Centre details, as well as factsheets and resources for young people and their families and friends, can be located on the headspace website: headspace.org.au.

Last week, Lives Lived Well (LLW) marked a significant milestone with a Motivational Interviewing (MI) Train New Trainers session, facilitated by Mikel Gellatly and Dr Stan Steindl. Over three days, we laid the groundwork for an organisation-wide rollout of MI training, aimed at empowering our client-facing staff and leaders across the organisation.

Our dedicated participants—Amanda Moawad, Ross de la Haye, Tom Ruming, Katie Hudson, Dr. Nick Kerswell, Grace Shuttleworth, and Paul Vallance—immersed themselves in MI principles and practices. Their commitment and enthusiasm were truly inspiring, bringing a wealth of insights and expertise to the sessions.

This training was more than just an event; it marked the start of an important journey. The strong foundations we’ve established will soon support a cohesive and impactful MI training program across LLW. We look forward to seeing how this training will benefit our teams and, ultimately, the clients we support.

                                                                                       Dr Stan Steindl and Mikel Gellatly

A new mental health initiative has expanded support options for aged care residents in the region, showing promising outcomes.

Lives Lived Well, a not-for-profit healthcare organisation, recently launched the Residential Aged Care Home (RACH) Group Program. Made possible through funding from the Darling Downs and West Moreton Primary Health Network (PHN), this free program offers vital support to those living in residential aged care homes across the Darling Downs and West Moreton regions who either have a diagnosed mental health condition or are at-risk of developing mental ill-health.

Lives Lived Well CEO Mitchell Giles emphasised the importance of mental health across all stages of life.

“Positive mental health is not just crucial; it’s fundamental to overall wellbeing, regardless of age or living situation,” he said.

“While the prevalence of mental illness tends to decrease with age, it remains more common among specific groups of older Australians, such as those living in permanent residential aged care.

“We are grateful to Darling Downs and West Moreton PHN for supporting this much-needed program, enabling us to ensure residents in local facilities have the support they need to live their lives well.”

According to the Australian Institute of Health and Wellbeing, a significant proportion (87%) of people living in permanent residential aged care experience mental health or behavioural conditions, with 49% diagnosed with depression.

Darling Downs and West Moreton PHN CEO Lucille Chalmers explained the program’s alignment with local need.

“In addition to our health data, we have engaged with older people who have told us they want more access to mental health services and social connection programs to help maintain their wellbeing,” said Ms Chalmers.

“This program will work cohesively with GPs, specialist mental health services and RACHs to ensure suitable mental health care is made available to residents.

“We are proud to work with Lives Lived Well as they deliver this important program.”

The RACH Group Program consists of six sessions to support residents in creating connections, understanding mental health, identifying unhelpful thinking patterns, developing coping skills that enhance wellbeing, building confidence and setting goals for the future.

Karla Smith, Team Leader for Clinical Services at Lives Lived Well, leads the program and shared encouraging insights into its early success.

“We’ve been actively engaging with over 20 aged care homes in the region to introduce the program, and the feedback has been overwhelmingly positive,” she said.

Access to this program is easy, as there is no requirement for a specialist or GP referral. Residential aged care homes and individuals interested in learning more about the RACH Group Program are encouraged to contact Lives Lived Well. For more information visit www.liveslivedwell.org.au/our-services/mental-health/residential-aged-care-home/.

*Source: Australian Institute of Health and Wellbeing (AIHW), 2023, Older Australians – selected health conditions, https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/older-people/older-australians/contents/health/health-disability-status#Mental%20health

For all media inquiries, please contact:

Lisa Maynard, Marketing and Communications Manager, Lives Lived Well

E.[email protected] M. 0428 433 572

About Lives Lived Well

Lives Lived Well is a not-for-profit healthcare provider that offers evidence-based services across Queensland, New South Wales and South Australia. The organisation specialises in supporting people with concerns related to alcohol and other drugs (AOD), mental health, transitioning from corrective services, veterans’ wellbeing and gambling. Learn more at www.liveslivedwell.org.au.

About Darling Downs and West Moreton PHN
Darling Downs and West Moreton PHN is one of 31 primary health networks around Australia. Our role in the health system is to both support primary health – the healthcare people seek first in their community, such as GPs, pharmacies and allied health professionals – as well as work with our partners to ensure the right care is there for those who need it most. Learn more at www.ddwmphn.com.au.