Mission Australia state director Nada Nasser said the challenges faced by young people today were unprecedented.
“We know from our Youth Survey that young people are extremely resilient and they care about their futures, as well as the people and world around them,” she said.
“We also know that they’re experiencing unique challenges, such as high levels of psychological distress and are less happy than they were just two years ago.
“Young people are also navigating the ever-evolving pressures of things like social media and the global pandemic, both which obviously didn’t exist when we started this survey over two decades ago.”
Young people can provide insights into their challenges, concerns, experiences with issues such as COVID-19 impacts, and economic and societal issues such as climate change, housing insecurity, work and study barriers and mental health concerns.
“Teenagers have borne the brunt of the economic and psychological consequences of the pandemic and they must be included in planning and decision-making that affect them, their peers, families, communities and Australia,” Ms Nasser said.
“That’s why we continue to prioritise creating space through our Youth Survey for young people to share their thoughts and concerns. Results are provided to government and non-government organisations to inform design and delivery of policies, initiatives and services that impact young people’s lives.”
The Youth Survey 2021 was completed by more than 4601 young people in Victoria between April and August last year.
The survey found young people thought the key issues Australia must address were COVID (48.3 per cent), the environment (43.0 per cent), equity and discrimination (37.2 per cent) and mental health (37.2 per cent).
The top three areas Victorian young people identified as being negatively impacted by COVID were participation in activities (78.4 per cent), education (77.7 per cent) and mental health (68.9 per cent).
According to the survey, Victorian young people were impacted more negatively by the pandemic than those in the rest of the country.
The survey also found a notably higher proportion of Victorian females identified their mental health was negatively impacted by COVID (76.3 per cent compared with 54.8 per cent of males).
Mission Australia’s Youth Survey 2022 is open until August 12 to all young people aged 15 to 19 who are living in Australia.
To take part in the survey, visit www.missionaustralia.com.au/youthsurvey
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