Ross Vasta (Bonner, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Araminta from Rochedale State High School in my electorate was asked the question, 'What do you want your community to look like in the next 10 years and what can the next parliament do to achieve it?' Araminta replied:

My answer is simple, In the next 10 years, I want our community to be a place where mental health is openly discussed, where everyone feels supported. My name is Araminta, and this is a piece of my story.

For years, I struggled with anxiety and depression, feeling lost in a world too complex for me to comprehend.

I thought there was something wrong with me.

I'd wake up feeling like a lead weight was on my chest, and my mind would race with worries all day long.

Sometimes the world felt like it was closing in, and I just wanted to disappear for a while.

But here's something crucial: I wasn't alone.

Youth mental health has been an ongoing crisis.

In the last year, 38.8% of Australians aged 16 to 24 have experienced a mental health disorder.

Suicide is the leading cause of death among young Australians, more than 350 young people aged 18 to 24 take their own lives every year.

I want people to understand, these are not just figures, not just numbers, these are people, these are children, with real lives, and real struggles.

They are our classmates, our friends, our family.

This issue is more prevalent than we often acknowledge or wish to believe and should deeply concern us all.

I want people to understand, mental health is not just crucial—

Scott Buchholz (Wright, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the honourable member for his contribution.