Indigenous children and young people experience a “concerning level of despair” beyond that of their peers, according to a major annual study on the health and wellbeing of young Australians.
Body image issues, coping with stress and problems at school were the three big worries for all young people who did the survey, but Indigenous children were far more likely to have fears about personal safety, drugs, bullying and discrimination.
Mission Australia’s 2017 youth survey of more than 24,000 young Australians, released on Thursday, included the views and insights of 1,265 young Indigenous people.
Nearly one in 10 young Indigenous people reported feeling “very sad” about their life overall, compared to only one in 50 non-Indigenous youth.
Three in 10 Indigenous young people were “extremely concerned” about depression. Around one in five said they felt either extremely or very concerned about suicide and discrimination, compared with around one in 10 non-Indigenous respondents.
Housing stability was another big issue for Indigenous youth.
A high number reported having moved house more than twice in the past three years. More than a quarter of Indigenous respondents reported having spent time away from home because they felt they could not go back, compared with one in 10 non-Indigenous respondents, and they were much younger when they first left home.
Isaiah Dawe is a Butchulla and Garrwa saltwater Murri man, who was taken into the child protection system at just two months old and came out when he turned 18.
Isaiah experienced 17 different placements as a child, in often highly abusive homes.
Now 23, he is chair of the New South Wales youth advisory committee and runs a mentoring program for young people called ID Know Yourself.
Dawe told Guardian Australia it “made him cry” to see how high the rates of despair were among young Indigenous people.
“The youth report shows we need to address the intergenerational trauma that still exists for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people,” Dawe said.
“There needs to be culturally appropriate, empathetic and holistic programs that have been built within the community themselves and driven by the young people and engaged with our elders.
“I believe having culture at the heart of a service gives a young person a feeling of belonging, hope, connection, fulfilment and purpose in their lives.
“We seriously need to act promptly, proactively and collectively as a nation to address this critical problem.”
The survey also showed that a great many young Indigenous people were engaged at school, led healthy and active lives, and had a range of ambitions.
“They’re keen to work and a high proportion see a future engaging in further education or employment,” said the chief executive of Mission Australia, James Toomey.
“But it’s very concerning that these young people are facing some incredibly complex challenges. Without access to the support they need, these challenges are difficult to overcome.”
High rates of homelessness among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people should be addressed as a national priority, Toomey said.
“This new report contributes to the evidence that too many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people are experiencing a concerning level of despair, which is fuelled by the severe shortage of culturally and age appropriate services in their communities.”
• Crisis support services can be reached 24 hours a day: Lifeline 13 11 14; Suicide Call Back Service 1300 659 467; Kids Helpline 1800 55 1800; MensLine Australia 1300 78 99 78; Beyond Blue 1300 22 4636
