Thursday, 12 May 2022

Mental health

Mr ANGUS: My office continues to be contacted by constituents advising of their concern for the mental health of their children and other family members. It is now well known that mental health issues, including anxiety, depression, eating disorders, self-harm and suicidal ideation, in the community are at record levels following the last two years. Evidence received from Victoria’s chief psychiatrist at the recent parliamentary Pandemic Declaration Accountability and Oversight Committee public hearings shows that the number of teenagers presenting at emergency departments for self-harm and eating disorders is still at concerning levels. He also noted the unsurprising fact that children and teenagers were the most vulnerable group during the pandemic, due in part to the lack of socialising as a result of lengthy school closures. This is a crisis that the government has contributed to and now must fix as a matter of utmost urgency.