Young people in distress should be able to find help through any service, school or community setting, rather than being left to navigate services alone, NSW health leaders have said.
The call for more connected support comes as young Australians experience some of the country’s highest rates of mental ill-health, with 38.8 per cent of people aged 16 to 24 experienced a mental disorder in the previous 12 months according to Australian Bureau of Statistics’ National Study of Mental Health and Wellbeing.
“Wherever a kid finds themselves there should [be] the avenue or door for kids to find their way,” said Elizabeth Wood, NSW Health’s Deputy Secretary for Health System Strategy and Patient Experience, adding the health system should be a place of safety.
“When we leave it to vulnerable children and families to navigate services, it is not conducive to getting what they need. It should be that genuine no wrong door approach. Have mechanisms looped into whatever they need.”
Speaking at the recent Policymaker Summit 2026 at the University of Technology Sydney Wood said agencies remained “so siloed within our organisations” and that governments needed to “sit and look at the problem to solve with young people, not for young people”.
She said the response could not rely only on hospitals.
“We can’t build our way out of this crisis with more hospital beds,” Wood added. “We need to think about the furthest possible upstream profound impacts.”
12-month mental disorders, by age and sex, 2020–2022. Source: National Study of Mental Health and Wellbeing by Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2023.
The 2020-2022 ABS’ National Study of Mental Health and Wellbeing also found young women were particularly affected, with 45.5 per cent reporting a mental disorder, compared with 32.4 per cent of young men. A 2022 BMJ Open study of 375 Australians aged 13 to 17 found the average wait to see a treatment provider for anxiety or depression was 99.6 days, highlighting a pressing need for systemic reform in mental health service delivery for young Australians.
Mental-health challenges are also affecting education. Mission Australia’s 2025 Youth Survey found 18 per cent of young people studying at school or an equivalent setting had missed school because of anxiety, depression or other mental-health issues.
“Wherever a kid finds themselves there should [be] the avenue or door for kids to find their way,” Wood said.
“When we leave it to vulnerable children and families to navigate services, it is not conducive to getting what they need. It should be that genuine no wrong door approach. Have mechanisms looped into whatever they need.”
Elizabeth Wood. Source: Australian Public Policy Institute, 2026.
Wood said agencies remained “so siloed within our organisations” and that governments needed to “sit and look at the problem to solve with young people, not for young people”.
She said the response could not rely only on hospitals.
“We can’t build our way out of this crisis with more hospital beds,” Wood said. “We need to think about the furthest possible upstream profound impacts.”
NSW Advocate for Children and Young People Katherine McKernan said young people did not view mental health as a separate issue, instead connecting it with housing, wellbeing and global uncertainty.
“They’re asking us to look at the issues holistically,” she said.
“Where we’re falling down is where youth need supported help. We all need to step up. We need to have services that are accessible, timely and affordable.
“[We] need to ensure we are consulting and working alongside young children in this space.”
This keeps me up at night. It’s whole of government. Every government has a place to play in mental health and wellbeing.
Julie Dixon, Acting NSW Mental Health Commissioner
Acting NSW Mental Health Commissioner Julie Dixon said many young people had complained of suffering high distress, including suicidal distress, and “a lack of belonging and meaningful supportive relationships”.
“This keeps me up at night,” Dixon said. “It’s whole of government. Every government has a place to play in mental health and wellbeing.”
Dixon said more support was needed beyond the clinical system, including peer support, families, schools and community connections.
“Lots of things can be done outside the clinical lens,” she added. “Scaling this support up is important for the future.”
Julie Dixon. Source: Australian Public Policy Institute, 2026.
In July, the NSW Government announced a $270 million, 10-year commitment to make mental-health crisis responses more health-led, allowing some triple zero callers to be connected with specialist mental-health teams to get the care that’s right for them.
The Mental Health Commission of NSW is also developing a Mental Health and Wellbeing Reform Strategy for 2027 to 2037, with early intervention, system navigation and localised care among its priorities.
Wood said: “It fundamentally comes back to ‘how do we meaningfully engage young people in the problem we are trying to solve?’
“Healthcare is about the person. It is about humans to humans… acts of kindness, generosity, respect and autonomy makes the biggest difference to young people so they feel valued and understood…these are the things that make a difference.”
Dixon said the goal should be moving from more transactional to relational care, ensuring young people are connected to meaningful support before they reach crisis point.
Main image courtesy Troy Benson/Flickr.
