Youth mental health: real stories, real impact

Tuesday, 4 October 2005

A new Radio Adelaide radio series investigates the world of youth and mental illness - with some surprising discoveries.

Premiering on Monday, October 10 at 8.30am, Changing Perspectives looks at the ways in which young people are living with mental illness. From trying to get work and housing to dealing with parents with a mental illness, the series documents the stories of some extraordinary young Australians.

The series' three producers have learnt a lot about mental health from an insider's perspective. "There have been some difficult stories to listen to but they're often the most rewarding and insightful," producer Adam Rossetto says.

Producer Victoria George discovers another world in rural and regional areas where help for young people with a mental illness is severely lacking. "I was amazed by the strength and resilience of young people battling a mental illness in areas where services are almost non-existent," she says. "There needs to be a drastic increase in funding before young people get the help they deserve."

Urban areas revealed just as many issues. "People in the city are doing it tough," producer Erica Benn says. "Young people are experiencing job loss, housing problems and stigma - and that's just the beginning. Without proper attention and care, young people with a mental illness are struggling to help themselves. Much needs to be done to rectify this issue and change the way mental health is viewed in Australia."

Also featuring as part of Radio Adelaide's Mental Health Week line-up is Living with the Black Dog - a deeply personal five-part series in which producer Lauren Kandelaars documents her personal experience of depression - the onset, diagnosis, treatment and her subsequent recovery. Accessible and balanced, it mixes first-person experience with the perspectives of professionals, family and friends, building a comprehensive picture of this common condition. Living with the Black Dog airs daily between October 10 and 14 at 7.30am.

Changing Perspectives follows at 8.30am and again at 4.30pm daily between October 10-14, during Mental Health Week. Five segments have been produced with support from the Foundation for Young Australians and the South Australian Department of Health. Each series focuses on a different topic, including:

• Community issues for young people living with a mental illness;
  
• The links between depression and recreational drug use;
  
• A snapshot of rural communities and mental health services;
  
• Stories from young people whose parents have a mental illness;
  
• Education and its role in mental health and well being.
  

More information about Mental Health Week can be found here.

Radio Adelaide is part of the University of Adelaide.

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