By Lorena Fernandez Collazo, Registered Counsellor & Researcher (Trauma-Informed Practice), Link To Us
While national data for children as young as ten are limited, the latest Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) National Study of Mental Health and Wellbeing (2020–22) shows that 38.8 % of Australians aged 16–24 had a diagnosable mental health disorder in the preceding 12 months — a significant increase from 26 % in 2007 (ABS, 2023; ABC News, 2023).
Among younger children and adolescents aged 4–17, the Young Minds Matter national survey found that 13.9 % had a diagnosed mental health disorder in the previous 12 months. In addition, one recent survey found that 35.9 % of secondary-school students reported high levels of anxiety, depression, or both (Prosper Health Collective, 2023).
A mere glance at the news is enough to reveal the alarming increase in mental health concerns among young people, but these are not just numbers — they are real young people struggling: overwhelmed, scared, depressed, burned-out, disconnected, anxious, sleep-deprived, bullied, not-fitting in and unseen. Rising rates of anxiety, depression, self-harm, and suicide are no longer isolated concerns; they are symptoms of a society that has lost its balance between connection, pressure, and care.
As a single mother of two, one of whom is a 14-year-old boy, I have seen and experienced these challenges first-hand. Behind every statistic lies a story — a teenager scrolling late into the night, sneaking devices into classrooms or hiding in the bathroom to stay online; using their bedrooms after or before approved hours to continue engaged; resetting pins for extra screen time without the parents knowing; or hiding behind the anonymity of a screen to experiment with identity — or to bully someone else. There’s the child withdrawing in silence, another pushing boundaries and acting out, a family unsure how to reach them, teachers at a loss as to how to help, and schools and health systems that continue to fail our young ones. The algorithms continue to push inappropriate, sexualised, or aggressive content — influencing our children to think, speak, and act in ways they might never have considered before. They are being exposed to material their developing brains simply cannot process or comprehend. Always swiping — right, left, up, down — a thumbs-up, a thumbs-down, a heart. Each gesture is a micro-decision, shaping their sense of identity, value, and belonging in ways we are only beginning to understand.
Growing Up in a Digital World
Today’s teenagers live in a world that never switches off. Social media can offer belonging and creative expression, but it also fuels comparison, perfectionism, unrealistic expectations, and relentless self-criticism. Many young people describe feeling “never good enough,” constantly evaluating their worth through likes, comments, and followers.
Excessive screen time and gaming can deepen disconnection from real-world relationships and disrupt sleep cycles. For some, gaming becomes an escape — a safe, predictable space when the world feels too intense. But for others, it develops into dependency, emotional dysregulation, and social withdrawal.
Bullying and the Search for Belonging
Bullying remains one of the most painful and destructive experiences for adolescents. Whether it happens at school or online, it erodes confidence, trust, and self-worth. Cyberbullying, in particular, means the harassment never truly ends — it follows them home through their phones, invading what should be a place of safety.
At the core of these struggles is a longing for belonging. Every young person wants to feel seen, valued, and accepted. When this need isn’t met, feelings of shame, isolation, and hopelessness can take root.
Bullying has been the cause of many death by suicide in our youth, with serious raising levels. When that silence deepens, it often transforms into something even more painful — the hidden language of self-harm and suicidal thoughts.
The Silent Language of Pain: Self-Harm and Suicidal Thoughts
For many adolescents, self-harm is not a desire to die, but a desperate attempt to release unbearable emotions or regain a sense of control. When the world feels unsafe and their pain goes unheard, harming themselves can feel like the only way to make the invisible visible.
Suicidal thoughts emerge when distress becomes too heavy to carry and hope feels out of reach. These are not signs of weakness — they are symptoms of deep emotional pain, unmet needs, and a lack of safe, attuned connection.
Food, Focus, and Identity: The Hidden Struggles
Eating disorders are rising among both girls and boys, often fuelled by social media ideals and emotional dysregulation. At the same time, ADHD and autism — which shape attention, impulse control, and emotional regulation — are still misunderstood or overlooked. Many neurodivergent young people mask their struggles to fit in, leading to exhaustion, shame, and further isolation.
When support systems fail to recognise these hidden differences, young people may be labelled as defiant, lazy, or “problematic,” when in reality, they are trying to navigate a world not built for them.
A System Under Pressure — and Out of Reach
While awareness of youth mental health has grown, access to support remains one of the biggest challenges. Affordable, trauma-informed care is limited. Public mental health services are often overstretched, nearly non-existent in some areas, or families are told their child does not “meet the criteria.” School counsellors, though vital, are often overwhelmed or only available for short-term, isolated sessions — not the ongoing therapeutic support that many young people need. Psychologists and psychiatrist are financially out of reach for many families, furthermore psychiatric care for children and adolescents is scarce, and parents are left navigating a system that often requires the young person to voluntarily engage — something many are unwilling or unable to do.
Adolescents may resist help because the issues feel too painful to talk about, or because they fear losing access to their coping mechanisms — gaming, social media, self-harm or online communities that have become their emotional lifeline. The result is a cycle of avoidance, silence, and further isolation.
In regional areas like the Central Coast, waitlists for psychologists can stretch for months and sessions can be financially inaccessible. For parents, this creates immense frustration and helplessness. For adolescents, it reinforces the message that help is unavailable or not worth asking for — and so they continue to feel unheard, unseen, and slip further down the rabbit hole of despair.
Why Trauma-Informed and Arts-Based Counselling Matters
This is where trauma-informed and arts-based counselling can offer a lifeline.
Research has shown that creative and expressive therapies — such as art, music, drama, and movement — can reduce symptoms of anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress in children and adolescents by promoting emotional expression, sensory regulation, and self-efficacy.
A 2021 study by the Australian Institute of Family Studies (AIFS) highlighted that creative arts therapies provide young people with non-verbal pathways to process trauma, particularly when verbal communication feels overwhelming or unsafe. Similarly, findings published in the Journal of Child and Adolescent Trauma (2020) demonstrate that art and play-based interventions activate right-brain integration, supporting nervous system regulation and fostering resilience.
Dr. Stephen Porges’ Polyvagal Theory further explains that safety and connection are the foundation of healing. Creative therapies naturally support this by engaging the vagus nerve and promoting co-regulation through sensory, relational, and embodied experiences.
In a world where many young people struggle to find the words for their pain, arts-based and trauma-informed counselling provides a safe and empowering space to explore feelings, restore self-understanding, and rebuild hope.
Why Are Our Young People Dying by Suicide?
Because they feel unseen.
Because they carry pain too big for their bodies.
Because they are living in a world that praises resilience but forgets to nurture it.
Because our systems too often treat symptoms instead of stories.
This crisis is not the fault of one generation — it is a collective wake-up call. We must shift from asking “What’s wrong with them?” to “What has happened to them?” and “What do they need to feel safe, supported, and connected?”
Moving Forward: What Needs to Change
Early intervention must become the priority — identifying emotional distress before it becomes a crisis. When we respond early, we give young people a chance to heal before patterns of fear, shame, or withdrawal take hold.
Digital literacy education must be integrated into both homes and schools, empowering children and parents alike to understand the impact of online behaviours and to develop healthy, mindful digital habits.
Affordable, trauma-informed counselling should be accessible to every child — not just those whose families can afford private care. Every child deserves the opportunity to be heard, supported, and guided through the challenges of growing up in an increasingly complex world.
Governments, schools, families, and communities must work together to create safe, inclusive environments where difference is accepted, emotions are understood, and empathy becomes the foundation for learning and connection.
Parents and caregivers need guidance and support — not judgment — as they navigate the complexities of raising children in the digital age. It’s not easy, and many of us are learning as we go.
We must also reclaim connection through nature and creativity — encouraging families to spend time outdoors, to explore, to build, and to make space for imagination and even boredom. These moments help children reconnect with themselves and with the world around them, grounding them in experiences beyond screens.
Setting clear device boundaries and screen-time limits is essential. While this is one of the hardest challenges for parents, it’s also one of the most important. Consistency and open communication can slowly reshape unhealthy patterns.
Governments must also hold big media and social media companies accountable. These platforms have unprecedented access to our children’s minds and attention — they must bear responsibility for the content being pushed into young people’s feeds. Legislation should protect children from harmful algorithms and content that fosters addiction, aggression, or self-destructive behaviour.
At the same time, our elected representatives must lobby for genuine reform — one that ensures families have access to bulk-billed, trauma-informed mental health services and publicly funded programs where parents can bring their children for timely, affordable or free counselling, psychology, and psychiatry support. Access to care should never depend on postcode or income. Every family should be able to reach out for help and receive it without delay or financial strain.
Finally, schools must act decisively on bullying — online and offline. Anti-bullying protocols should be enforced consistently, and the use of devices during school hours should be limited. Greater emphasis should be placed on creative subjects, outdoor learning, and play-based approaches that foster curiosity, empathy, and resilience.
Our children deserve better. It will take courage, collaboration, and commitment from all of us — but the cost of inaction is far too high.
A Call to Compassion
At Link To Us, we believe no young person should face emotional pain alone. Our work focuses on providing safe spaces and helping adolescents explore their feelings through arts-based and trauma-informed approaches — offering tools for self-understanding, emotional regulation, and resilience.
But real change requires all of us — families, schools, clinicians, politicians and communities — working together to rebuild connection and restore hope.
If you’re worried about a young person in your life, reach out. Listen more than you speak. Create safety before offering solutions. Sometimes, the simple act of being present can save a life.
If You or Someone You Know is in Crisis
If you or a young person you care about is struggling, please reach out. You are not alone, and help is available:
📞 Lifeline: 13 11 14
📞 Kids Helpline: 1800 55 1800
📞 Headspace: 1800 650 890
📞 NSW Mental Health Line: 1800 011 511
🚨 If there is immediate danger, call: 000
🌐 For counselling or emotional support, visit www.linktous.com.au or contact Lorena Fernandez Collazo at Link To Us Counselling.
If financial concerns are a barrier, please contact us to discuss options — we are here to help. Every young person deserves to be heard, supported, and guided through their challenges.
