The nature and extent of the major issues affecting the health of young people in Australia, including mental health, body image and eating disorders, drug use, road safety, sexual health

Young Australians (defined here as roughly 12-24 years old) are the healthiest cohort by traditional measures - low mortality, low chronic disease - but the highest-risk cohort for several specific issues. This dot point covers the five issues the syllabus expects you to know with current Australian data.

Mental health

Young Australians have the highest rates of mental illness of any age cohort. The 2020-22 National Study of Mental Health and Wellbeing (ABS) found that 39% of young women and 33% of young men aged 16-24 reported a 12-month mental disorder, up from 26% combined a decade earlier. Anxiety disorders are the most common category, followed by mood disorders.

Suicide is the leading cause of death for Australians aged 15-24 (ABS Causes of Death). Around 360 young Australians die by suicide each year. Rates are roughly three times higher in young men than young women, though young women have higher rates of self-harm and suicide attempts. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people experience suicide at roughly twice the non-Indigenous rate.

The rising prevalence of mental illness in young Australians is well-documented but the causes are debated. Plausible contributing factors include social media use, school and academic pressure, cost-of-living and housing pressure, climate anxiety, and the lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. The trajectory of youth mental health is one of the largest open questions in Australian public health.

Body image and eating disorders

The Mission Australia Youth Survey consistently finds body image among the top three personal concerns of young Australians. Around 30% of young women and 15% of young men report being highly dissatisfied with their bodies (Butterfly Foundation data).

Eating disorders affect roughly 4-5% of young Australians, with peak onset in mid-to-late adolescence. The main categories are anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder, and "other specified feeding or eating disorders" (OSFED) which is the most common in young Australians.

Eating disorders have the highest mortality of any mental illness when chronic. Recovery rates are higher with early intervention, which makes the lag between onset and treatment a major public health issue. Average time to first treatment is around four years.

Body image concerns extend beyond eating disorders. Muscle dysmorphia (the male-leaning preoccupation with insufficient muscularity) is increasingly recognised. The prevalence of cosmetic procedures among young Australians has risen significantly, in step with the rise of image-based social media.

Drug use

The AIHW National Drug Strategy Household Survey 2022-23 covers patterns of substance use across Australia. For young Australians:

• Alcohol remains the most-used drug. Around 70-80% of 18-24 year olds drink alcohol at least occasionally. The proportion of young Australians abstaining has grown over the past decade (from around 20% to around 28% of 14-17 year olds abstaining entirely).
• Tobacco smoking has fallen sharply. Adult smoking is around 10% nationally; daily smoking among 18-24 year olds is around 5%.
• Vaping (e-cigarettes) has risen sharply, particularly among under-25s. Roughly 1 in 5 18-24 year olds report current vape use. The federal government's 2024 vape reforms (prescription-only, plain packaging, pharmacy-only sale) are aimed at this cohort.
• Cannabis is the most-used illicit drug. Around 20% of 18-24 year olds report use in the past 12 months.
• Other illicit drugs (ecstasy, cocaine, methamphetamine) - prevalence is lower but higher than the general population. Festival-related harms have driven public discussion of pill testing services.

Road safety

Young Australians aged 17-25 are over-represented in road deaths and serious injuries. The 17-25 age group has roughly twice the road fatality rate per kilometre travelled compared to older drivers (BITRE data).

Contributing factors are well-documented:

• Inexperience. Crash risk falls sharply across the first 5,000 km of driving.
• Driver distraction. Phone use while driving is reported by a higher proportion of young drivers.
• Speed. Young drivers are more likely to speed than older drivers.
• Drug and alcohol impairment. Alcohol impairment is more common in young drivers in fatal crashes than in the general driving population.
• Passenger effects. Young drivers with young passengers have higher crash rates than young drivers alone.

The graduated licensing scheme (Learner, P1, P2 with restrictions on passengers, alcohol, vehicle power, and supervision) is the main population-level response. Each tier reduces risk by progressively expanding privileges.

Sexual health

Australian young people have generally good sexual health outcomes by international standards, but specific issues persist.

Sexually transmissible infections (STIs)

Chlamydia is the most-notified STI in Australia, with rates highest in the 15-29 age group. Around 75-80% of chlamydia notifications are in this cohort. Gonorrhoea and syphilis notifications have risen substantially over the last decade. HPV vaccination uptake remains high (around 80%) due to the school-based program, with corresponding decline in HPV-related cervical lesions.

Unintended pregnancy

Teen pregnancy rates have fallen substantially over the last 20 years and are now at historic lows. Australia's overall fertility rate is also declining.

Consent and respectful relationships

Following the Respect@Work and Consent Matters reforms, consent education is now required in all state curricula. The Mission Australia Youth Survey consistently finds that young Australians want more relationship and consent education than they currently receive.

LGBTIQ+ youth

Disproportionately higher rates of mental health issues, self-harm, and suicide compared to non-LGBTIQ+ peers. The Writing Themselves In studies (La Trobe University) document this gap consistently across years.

How these issues interact

The five issues are not independent. Body image concerns correlate with disordered eating, mental health issues, and risky behaviours. Mental illness is a risk factor for drug use, and drug use is a risk factor for road harm. The strongest HSC extended responses recognise the interactions rather than treating each issue in isolation.

The next dot points on determinants of youth health, support and protective factors, and roles of communities and governments build on this foundation.