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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.
