DUAL, the global specialist underwriting agency, is holding a free mental health webinar on Tuesday, March 18. The firm’s Australia and New Zealand operation has a longstanding interest in mental wellbeing but, for the first time, is opening a webinar on the topic to people outside the insurance industry. A spokesperson said about 2,000 people have already signed up.
The panel session and Q&A - Talking mental health: A guide to open conversations with young people - is designed to help those who want to support young people with their mental well-being.
Dr Lyndsay Brown (pictured left), research officer with the Black Dog Institute, is one of the panellists. This medical research institute specialises in mental health policy and advocacy.
Also on the panel, Nic Newling (pictured centre), mental health speaker with The Champions, which describes itself as “a network of experienced and passionate people who champion sharing to help improve mental health.”
Damien Coates (pictured right), CEO of DUAL ANZ, is also speaking. Coates often champions mental health causes and has been outspoken about his own mental health challenges.
“I’ve had the privilege of sharing my lived experience with depression with over 10,000 people and the most common question I get asked in these presentations is: How do I talk to young people about mental health?” Coates said. “It can feel daunting, but with suicide being the leading cause of death for people aged 15-44, it’s so important.”
Coates said listening without judgement or trying to fix things is “really important” if someone wants to try and help a young person struggling with mental health issues.
“It's OK to not feel OK all the time - life can be tough sometimes and this generation is growing up facing challenges my generation never had to,” said Coates. “If those feelings persist for more than a couple of weeks, then it might be time to seek support.”
“Absolutely,” said Coates. “I'm so encouraged that from the 30+ sessions I presented last year to organisations in the insurance industry, so many are investing in Employee Assistance Programs, mental health first aiders and training and education for leaders and employees, alongside so many other support and awareness initiatives.”
In February, the Black Dog Institute and other mental health organisations called on all political parties to pledge, as part of their upcoming federal election commitments, to provide free mental healthcare for everyone under the age of 25.
“For the first time in history, we’re beginning to hand down worse mental health outcomes to future generations,” said Professor Samuel Harvey, executive director and chief scientist at the Black Dog Institute. “This is in stark contrast to the intergenerational improvements we are seeing for most other health conditions.”
The Institute’s media release said rates of mental ill health are rising in young people “with two in five now living with a mental illness—a 50% increase over the last 14 years.”
The problem of suicide in Australia and New Zealand is well documented.
ABS data said that, in 2023, there were 3,214 deaths by suicide in the country – an average of about nine deaths per day. Most of the suicides were by males. Over a smaller age range, the group with highest rate of suicide is currently men aged 55 to 59. However, the data shows that the rate of suicide for this group has actually halved compared to what it was up to about 1930.
In recent years, the Mental Health Foundation of New Zealand has said that data shows this country has one of the highest rates of youth suicide. The suicide rate for teenagers, said the Foundation, was worse than about 40 other countries in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), considered the most developed in the world.
