Orygen

You tell us: Why is tax reform a mental health strategy? So many important insights in the room at this event with @thinkforward_aus 's Jane Body, @weareallknd 's @millyrosebannister , @_orygen_ 's Alex Dalton and @preventionunited 's Adriel Appathurai. Over to you – share your thoughts in the comments below, and head to the link in bio to add your name to @thinkforward_aus 's Tax Wealth, Not Work campaign.

Orygen Digital delivers co-designed, evidence-based digital mental health tools that meet young people where they're at. It's support that young people can reach for before, between and beyond clinical sessions – and here's the latest on how MOST, @mello.mentalhealth and MindVR are making a difference. 🔎 Find the full report at the link in our bio.

Climate change is something we know will have impacts on future generations, but how are young people feeling about it right now? A new report from Orygen, using data from the 2025 @mission_aust Youth Survey of over 16,000 young people aged 15-19, tells us it’s affecting young people in complex and personal ways – and in big numbers. The report found that for 3 in every 4 young people in Australia, climate change is having a negative impact, and for some it’s severe. Climate change and the environment were among the top three ‘most important issues in Australia’ according to young people, along with cost of living and mental health. Our analysis found that young people fell into four impact groups – Low, Emotional, Functional and Safety – with those in the more severely impacted groups having poorer mental health and wellbeing overall. Learn more about the impact groups – and what policymakers can do to address these challenges – via the link in our bio.

So many people, all in the same room, working towards the same goal. We were thrilled to today bring together Orygen’s lived experience workforce and leaders to launch our new Lived Experience Strategy, which maps our commitment to advancing lived experience work, participation, advocacy and progress in the next three years and beyond. As articulated by our Head of Lived Experience, Rafi Armanto, the strategy is about “true allyship, building a strong culture, creating connection with the sector, showing a commitment to lived experience leadership, and investing in training and support” – and this is just the beginning. We can’t wait to share the strategy with you soon: stay tuned!

Some days can be a struggle, but having MOST in my pocket makes those dark days brighter. #AD

Rates of suicidal ideation among high school students are concerning, but there is hope. That's the message behind new data from one of the largest ever evaluations of a suicide prevention program in Australia, led by Orygen Senior Research Fellow Dr Samuel McKay. It found the Multimodal Approach to Preventing Suicide in Schools (MAPSS) program improved students' knowledge and skills to intervene with suicidal peers, and enabled identification of those at risk of suicide. "This tells us how important school settings are for educating young people about suicide, how to respond to suicide concerns, and importantly where to get help if they need it," Dr McKay said. For more info, head to the link in bio. If you or someone you know is in need of support, contact @lifelineaustralia on 13 11 14, @kidshelplineau on 1800 55 1800 or @13yarn on 13 92 76. If the situation is an emergency, call 000.

We're excited to be inviting young people (aged 18 to 30) to directly contribute their insights and expertise in real governance spaces here at Orygen. These six Youth in Governance roles, located across the Orygen Board and its subcommittees, focus on amplifying lived experience and youth perspectives at the highest level of organisational decision-making, strategy and oversight. The program includes structured training and support to empower Youth Advisors to build their leadership skills and contribute confidently at a governance level. Applications are open until 11:59pm (AEST) on Tuesday 19 May. For more info, head to the link in our bio. Know someone who might be interested? Please share this opportunity with them!

April, in review – here’s a bit of what’s been on for us lately at Orygen 👇 1. Orygen representatives including Yehudi Saling, A/Prof. Andrea Phillipou and Dr Rachel Thomas were at Parliament Gardens alongside Victoria’s leading research institutes to support @aamri_aus ’s 100 Lab Coats initiative – more on this at the link in bio. 2+3. We co-hosted an important conversation on youth mental health and economic policy, featuring these brilliant speakers: @weareallknd ’s @millyrosebannister , @thinkforward_aus ’s Jane Body, @_orygen_ ’s Alex Dalton and @preventionunited ’s Adriel Appathurai (L-R) – more highlights coming soon! 4. Orygen, in @rollingstoneaus ?! Papa Roach were down under and we were lucky enough to connect with the band, who are long-standing advocates for mental health and suicide prevention, and make it to the rock n’ roll pages 🙌 5. We were delighted to host a panel of esteemed speakers for our @women_deliver side event on suicide prevention for young women and girls – see our last post for the day’s key highlights. 6. The Orygen Global team held a Policy Lab in Brunei with young people, NGOs, clinicians and government stakeholders, focused on identifying opportunities to improve local youth mental health outcomes 🌏 7. Orygen’s Prof. Rosie Purcell led this @theconversation.aunz article alongside Dr Courtney Walton, on the importance of wrap-around mental health supports for elite athletes. Find it at the link in bio. 8. Members of our Suicide Prevention Research Unit, including @chatsafe_au ’s Mariota Spens (pictured), were in Sydney for the National Suicide Prevention Conference, to share their work and connect with others in this space 🌱 9. Dr Dave Baker and Dr Eleanor Bailey gave evidence for a parliamentary inquiry aimed at addressing links between domestic, family and sexual violence (DFSV) victimisation and suicide. 10. A/Prof. Andrea Phillipou spoke to @sydneymorningherald and @theageaustralia about underfunding, stigma and gaps in eating disorders research and treatment. Read at the link in bio (paywall). 11. Prof. Jo Robinson and Dr Eleanor Bailey contributed to a @whowpro webinar on digital tools and mental health – link in bio.

A privilege to host this incredible panel for our @women_deliver side event on suicide prevention for young women and girls. While suicide prevention often – and necessarily – focuses on men, given the over-representation in deaths, we heard a confronting reality: in Australia, rates among young women are rising faster than among young men, and in some countries, are now higher. That set the tone for a solutions-focused discussion that, as @viccommissionerlgbtiq put it, "feels extremely urgent". From tackling stigma and discrimination, to the need for policy that actually reflects young people's lives, it was a conversation focused on collective action and strengthening prevention for all – and here are some of the key takeaways. With @unicefpacific @makestrongminds @planinternational @unyouthaffairs

First-episode psychosis often co-occurs with substance use – and tailored, early intervention programs can make a real difference. That's from new research led by Orygen's Dr Ellie Brown, which explored how participation in @headspace_aus 's Early Psychosis program impacted substance use among nearly 2,000 young people. It found that substance use was common, but decreased after six months of treatment – with significant reductions in the use of cannabis, amphetamine-type stimulants and sedatives. Find more details at the link in bio.

Financial pressure is harming wellbeing and preventing young people from accessing support. That's the concerning key finding of a new Orygen poll, which asked over 1000 Australians for their thoughts on links between the cost of living and youth mental health. 👉 Coming up next week, this free event will bring policy experts and young leaders together to explore these links and unpack how tax reform could pave a better path forward. Register (for free!) at the link in bio to hear from @thinkforward_aus 's Jane Body, @weareallknd 's @millyrosebannister , @_orygen_ 's Alex Dalton and @preventionunited 's Adriel Appathurai.

We're excited to introduce Orygen's new short course program, designed to support those who work across health, community and education settings. Delivered online by experienced mental health practitioners, Foundations in Mental Health Practice aims to provide accessible learning in key areas including: 👉 Trauma-informed care 👉 Working with diverse social and cultural groups 👉 Supporting self-advocacy Expressions of interest are now open – find more info at the link in bio.