Young men’s mental health in focus during ministerial visit to headspace Collingwood
Recently, headspace Collingwood had the pleasure of welcoming three federal MPs to our site for an important discussion on young men and mental health.
Representatives from headspace, including CEO Jason Trethowan, Centre Manager David Hay and several young people from our Youth Advisory Committee (YAC), spoke with the Federal Member for Cooper Ged Kearney, the Federal Member for Melbourne Sarah Witty and the Federal Member for Hunter Dan Repacholi, who is also the Special Envoy for Men’s Health.
The conversation was full of great insights, particularly from your YAC members.
Here are some of the key takeaways:
- Roughly 30 per cent of headspace Collingwood’s client demographic are male, and many of these young men don’t access our services until their issues have become entrenched.
- Young men often experience shame and stigma around speaking out about mental health. It can take time for young men to trust services and therapists enough to open up.
- headspace Collingwood’s Single Session Thinking Model, which allows young people to access a one-off counselling session within weeks, can provide an accessible, low-pressure entry point for young men who might be wary of seeking support.
- How important positive role models for young men, particularly when they can counter some of the more negative influences online.
- How important community and connection are for young people’s mental health, and how headspace’s community engagement work, including the YAC, helps create community and purpose for young people.
Thanks so much to Ged, Sarah and Dan for visiting us!