Youth Focus is calling for around 50 young men between 18-25 to volunteer their time for a community forum, aiming to create solutions to prevent suicide among young males.
The call comes as new statistics show young people in the Peel region are seeking help from Youth Focus from a younger age.
Data shows that Youth Focus supports an average of 100 young people a year across the region, with 13 and 14 year olds comprising almost 40 per cent of the client base so far this year.
Less than a third of those seeking help are males, despite research showing young men are three times more likely to take their own lives than young women.
The forum will be held in Kwinana on Saturday, November 24 at the Darius Wells Resource Centre.
We need to arrest these statistics by ensuring young men feel comfortable and confident to start conversations about mental health with their mates.
- Youth Focus community engagement general manager Chris Harris
Running from 10am-4pm, each participant will be paid $100 to be involved.
Wildcats star Greg Hire, who runs charity A Stitch in Time to encourage resilience in young people through sport and mentoring, will attend the workshop.
Youth Focus are preparing to launch their Kwinana based Young Men’s Project in a bid to help address the unacceptably high number of men who die by suicide in Australia.
Community engagement general manager Chris Harris said the project was established in 2013 to inspire young males to work together on insightful and effective suicide prevention concepts.
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“We need to arrest these statistics by ensuring young men feel comfortable and confident to start conversations about mental health with their mates,” he said.
“The Young Men’s Project is about creating a space where we can work collaboratively on new and innovative strategies to help shift the way young men think about mental health issues and reduce the unacceptable toll of suicide.
“Many of these ideas aren’t expensive, technology based or time consuming. They can be the simplest of acts, like a community dinner, a community chat or any conduit that allows young men to let those closest know they may be doing it tough.”
Suicide is the biggest killer of young Australians, with latest statistics showing 51 young people aged between 15 and 24 took their own lives in WA in 2017.
For every suicide, another 20 people attempt to take their own lives.
In addition, one in four young Australians live with a mental health condition, with 75 per cent of mental illnesses first appearing in people under the age of 25.
To register to take part in the Kwinana Young Men’s Project, visit www.eventbrite.com.au.
- If you or someone you know needs urgent support, please contact the Suicide Call Back Service on 1300 659 467, the Kids Helpline on 1800 55 1800 or Lifeline on 13 11 14.
