As more than 200,000 Year 12 students across Australia prepare for their ATAR exams, the stress they face highlights a bigger national issue: too many young Australians are entering adulthood without the coping skills to manage life’s challenges. Without those tools, pressures can accumulate and contribute to serious mental health consequences – with suicide now the leading cause of death among 15-24 year olds.
At the same time, the Federal Government is preparing to tighten restrictions on young people’s access to social media, acknowledging growing concerns about its role in anxiety, loneliness, cyberbullying and harmful self-comparison. While reducing harmful online influences may provide some relief, bans alone will not solve the problem.
Children also need to be equipped with the skills to manage stress, build resilience, and seek support early in life.
“Exams are stressful, but the truth is life is full of challenges,” said Scott Watters, CEO and Founder of LifeChanger Foundation, a youth mental health and wellbeing nonprofit focused on prevention. “If we wait until kids hit Year 12 to start talking about resilience, we’ve left it too late. We need to give children the tools much earlier – to cope with stress, to know who to talk to when they’re struggling, and to not carry those mental burdens into their adult lives.
“Every time a young person feels connected and supported, we take weight off their shoulders,” Watters added. “That’s what prevention is really about. It’s not one program or one policy, it’s a community effort to make sure every child grows up knowing they are valued, connected and capable of facing life’s challenges with confidence.”
For more information about LifeChanger, visit: www.lifechanger.org.au