Youth psychiatry training launched by RANZCP as AIHW data reveals youth are Australia's biggest users of community mental health services
Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Pyschiatrists
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RANZCP launches youth psychiatry training as AIHW data reveals youth are Australia's biggest users of community mental health services
Australia's peak psychiatry body is launching a new subspecialty in youth psychiatry, as government data confirms that teenagers aged 12 to 17 are the highest users of specialised community mental health services across the country, ahead of every adult age group, followed by 18 to 24-year-olds.
The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists (RANZCP) will now provide a Certificate of Advanced Training in Youth Psychiatry, the first of its kind in the world, training and qualifying psychiatrists to specialise specifically in the mental health needs of young people aged 12 to 25. The move responds to increasing demand for specialist mental health care among young Australians and the growing complexity of their presentations.
Latest data from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) makes the scale of need clear:
- Teenagers aged 12 to 17 recorded close to 676 community mental health service contacts per 1000 population nationally in 2023-24, the highest rate of any age group in Australia, followed by 18 to 24-year-olds at 484 contacts per 1000[1]
- Young people aged 18 to 24 received psychiatric care at a rate of 39 patients per 1000 population nationally in 2024-25, the highest rate of any age group, and more than double the rate a decade ago.[2]
- Young women aged 18 to 24 received psychiatric care at a rate of 47 patients per 1000 population, the highest rate of any age by gender group nationally in 2024-25. They also had the highest rate of mental health care overall at 192 patients per 1000 population, more than twice the rate of males for this age group. [3]
- In just 10 years, psychostimulant prescriptions for 12 to 17-year-olds have nearly quadrupled, and increased more than six-fold for 18 to 24-year-olds, with 1 in 10 young adults now prescribed an antidepressant[4]
This builds on previous data showing:
- Almost 4 in 10 young Australians aged 16 to 24 have a 12-month mental disorder, nearly double the national rate of 21.5%[5], and nearly half report high or very high levels of psychological distress[6]
- Mental health conditions, substance use disorders and injuries contribute the most burden for young people aged 15–24[7]
- A Lancet Psychiatry Commission found a 50% increase in mental ill-health among Australian youth in less than two decades, with the peak age of onset now 15 years old[8]
Quotes attributable to Dr Astha Tomar, President, RANZCP:
"Young Australians are the biggest users of community mental health services in the country, and that tells us something important. This generation is asking for help. We owe it to them to have the right people there to answer."
"Young people are coming forward in record numbers, and their needs are growing in complexity. They are navigating some of the hardest years of their lives, and they deserve care that reflects that."
"They deserve a psychiatrist who has trained specifically for that stage of life, who understands the biology, the social pressures, and the clinical complexity of being young in 2026."
"This certificate means that for the first time, psychiatrists can dedicate their careers to this cohort. That is a profound shift in how we think about and deliver mental health care for young Australians."
Quotes attributable to Dr Daniel Pellen, Chair, RANZCP Section for Youth Mental Health:
"Adolescence and early adulthood are when most mental illness first emerges. It is the window where the right intervention can change the entire trajectory of a person's life."
"Until now, a young person's care depended on which side of 18 they fell. This certificate recognises that the clinical needs of a 16-year-old and a 24-year-old have more in common with each other than with the systems that have traditionally served them separately."
"This certificate equips psychiatrists with deep, specialised knowledge of this cohort, learning to recognise what is unique about the way young people present, respond to treatment, and recover."
"As demand grows and presentations become more complex, having psychiatrists who have dedicated their training to this age group means young people get the most informed, targeted care possible at the most critical time in their lives."
For media inquiries, please contact: Dishi Gahlowt on +61 437 315 911 or email [email protected]
The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists is a membership organisation that prepares medical specialists in the field of psychiatry, supports and enhances clinical practice, advocates for people affected by mental illness and advises governments and other groups on mental health care. For information about our work, our members or our history, visit www.ranzcp.org.
In Australia: If you or someone you know needs help, contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or www.lifeline.org.au or the Suicide Callback Service on 1300 659 467 or www.suicidecallbackservice.org.au.
In New Zealand: If you or someone you know needs help, contact Lifeline NZ on 0800 543 354 or www.lifeline.org.nz or the Suicide Crisis Helpline on 0508 828 865 or www.lifeline.org.nz/suicide-prevention.
Contact details:
Dishi Gahlowt on +61 437 315 911 or email [email protected]