Support Officers Needed for Student Mental Health

Covid-19 has brought to a head both underlying and existing mental health illnesses affecting people of all ages. However with suicide being the leading cause of death for Australians between the ages of 15 and 44, high school students are left in a vulnerable age bracket with limited support. There is currently an overwhelming amount of students suffering with mental issues, and not enough student support service officers in schools to meet the demand. We were joined by Dr Bridianne O’Dea, National Health and Medical Research Council Investigator based at the Black Dog Institute to discuss how we can address this issue.