Exploring Mental Health Initiatives for Young People in Ballarat: An Interview with CMY and headspace Ballarat
In Ballarat, mental health is a high priority issue amongst young people. According to the 2022-2026 Ballarat Youth Strategy, which was co-designed by local youth, roughly two-thirds of the youth population are currently experiencing anxiety and two-fifths experience depression. Alarmingly, one-third of young people experience suicidal thoughts and roughly one-quarter have experienced or are concerned about self-harm.
In a recent interview with the CMY and headspace Ballarat teams, we delved into the beginnings of Thrive Cast, a mental health podcast made by young people, the challenges faced by youth in the region and the impactful work being done to address them.
Challenges in Youth Mental Health
Eva, a Cultural Diversity Youth Worker at headspace Ballarat, shared her observations on the specific challenges faced by young people in Ballarat: “From what I’ve personally seen, sometimes young people’s mental health concerns are dismissed by their parents. This lack of support acts as a barrier since young people often need parental consent and assistance to access mental health services.”
Shiree, Team Leader at CMY Ballarat, added a multicultural perspective, noting that some parents struggle to understand their children’s mental health issues, especially if they have migrated from conflict or famine-ridden countries. “Parents often think, ‘I’ve brought them to a safer country with education and meals, so what do they have to be anxious about?'” she explained. Despite these challenges, she acknowledged progress: “We have a parent-carer session coming up that’s booked out, showing more parents are keen to understand youth mental health.”
The Catalyst for Thrive Cast
The discussion shifted to the origins of the Thrive Cast project. Shiree shared a poignant story about a young South Sudanese artist, Naagak, who was part of the CMY Ballarat family. Tragically, she took her life in January 2022, prompting her best friend to call for action. “She told me, ‘I’ve lost five friends to suicide in 18 months. We have to do something,'” Shiree recalled. This urgency led to conversations between Shiree and Andy, Community Engagement Manager at headspace Ballarat, who were both on leave at the time, about how to support young people and their parents during this crisis.
Andy elaborated, “It was the most tragic of catalysts that brought us together. We’ve always aimed to be inclusive at headspace, but this event made us realize the necessity of immediate action. We started attending community events like Flourish Fest and Harmony Days, which laid the groundwork for our collaborative efforts.”
The Thrive Cast Project
Brodie, Thrive Cast’s Creative Producer, described the evolution of the Thrive Cast project. “It started well before the podcast. We sat down with young people to understand what they wanted. They envisioned a conversational, relaxed format to discuss heavy topics like gender equity, racism, and family dynamics.”
Brodie emphasized the interconnectedness of mental health and societal issues. “Young people’s mental health doesn’t exist in isolation from their environment. They wanted to use mental health as a vehicle to discuss everything affecting them.”
The project, which began over a year ago, involved a professional team and community input. “We started with a group of young people, discussing what they wanted the podcast to look like. They wanted to address various societal pressures and how these impact their mental health,” Brodie explained.
A group of 20 diverse young people have been a part of the project, including roles in producing, recording, speaking, researching and more. Across 8 episodes, the Thrive Cast team have delved into topics of Culture, Gender Equity, Stigma, School, Racism, Suicide Prevention, Body Image and Sexuality. Young people have led the way in content creation, providing insightful intersectional thoughts and discussions on difficult challenges that young people in the region face today.
Moving Forward
The Thrive Cast project has already made significant strides, providing a platform for young people to voice their concerns and experiences. The collaboration between CMY and headspace Ballarat has put the framework in place for further important work in the space, instilling confidence in young people to continue this work. We asked each of the team to share what they hoped would come out of the Thrive Cast project.
Andy emphasized the importance of continued capacity building and collaboration, expressing gratitude for the partnership and the impact it has had on the community.
Brodie expressed a desire to use the podcast to build a sense of community among young people. He highlighted the importance of creating a cozy, supportive environment where difficult topics can be discussed, fostering strong connections and camaraderie among the youth involved.
Briana discussed the importance of providing culturally appropriate mental health services. She noted that traditional mental health concepts do not exist in many cultures and emphasized the need for alternative approaches, such as community discussions, which are more culturally supportive.
Eva focused on amplifying the voices of multicultural youth. She stressed the importance of these voices being heard by their peers, as it can significantly impact their sense of understanding and belonging.
Shiree highlighted the goal of increasing representation of multicultural youth in accessing services like Headspace. She emphasized the importance of genuine collaboration and upskilling young people in key roles, such as creative producers and audio engineers. Shiree also mentioned the potential for expanding the storytelling aspect of the initiative, allowing young people to develop skills and present their experiences in various formats, including live performances.
Thrive Cast sheds light on the complex mental health challenges faced by young people in Ballarat. Through community collaboration, parental engagement, and innovative approaches like the Thrive Cast podcast, significant progress is being made to support and empower the youth in the region.
‘Thrive Cast’ is a collaboration between CMY and headspace Ballarat and has been made possible thanks to Multicultural Arts Victoria and supported by VicHealth through its ‘Future Healthy: Future Reset’ program.