Adrian skipped school for months while struggling with severe depression and anxiety.
However, after finding his way into a new program that integrates education and mental health treatment, his life has turned around.
Now the 17-year-old isn't just "treading water", he's making plans for the future.
Adrian — who asked for his last name not to be used — has just graduated from the six-month Adolescent Day Program, a collaboration between Queensland Health and the Department of Education that targets young people with severe and complex mental health issues.
"I was really anxious about it because I wasn't keeping up with classwork. I wasn't doing homework. I wasn't motivated to do it and that increased my anxiety and made me feel worse," Adrian said. "It was a cycle of extra stress."
Adrian's mum, Fiona, said the change in her son had been incredible and she was proud of what he had achieved.
"We were day to day, we had no direction, it was just floating, trying to keep our head above water.
"We've learned strategies and coping mechanisms."
Keeping up with education
Students aged between 13 to 18 can be referred to the Robina facility through Queensland Health's Child and Youth Mental Health Services.
CYMHS team leader Vivienne Braddock said many of the service's students had anxiety, depression and some had post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
She said education was often the first thing to drop off when a young person struggled with their mental health.
"We know mental health can interfere with education."
That's exactly what Adrian experienced.
Now he's back on track with his studies and has just finished his Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR) program.
He has plans to go to university and use his own experience to help others.
"I want to go into the area of psychology, helping people," Adrian said.
"I like to understand how other people feel and try to make those feelings heard and seen and supported."
More than a classroom
Students in the Adolescent Day Program attend five days a week, from 9am to 3pm.
They have classes with specially-trained teachers, group programs to help with social skills or lessons on how to deal with strong emotions and feelings, as well as activities such as yoga and cooking classes.
Students also have access to individual daily treatment from mental health professionals.
Fiona said the program had been life-changing, not only for her son, but also for the whole family.
"We've learned similar things to what Adrian's learning, so we can do the same thing at home with the whole family, which helps Adrian recover as well," she said.
Collaborative approach
CYMHS director for the Gold Coast Philip Williams said the partnership was a first for the two departments.
"It's very much been a collaborative process from day one," Mr Williams said.
After the success of the Robina facility, a second centre will open soon in Logan.
The departments hope more facilities will be rolled out across the state in future.
"It allows young people to be in the one place, getting that input from two very separate paths of what are two very important and integral paths to the quality of their life," Mr Williams said.
"It allows an enormous amount more flexibility or adaptability."
