Coast's mental illness rates on rise

THE availability of drugs and the high unemployment rate has prompted youth mental health concerns on the Gold Coast, according to the 2010 Australian of the Year, Professor Pat McGorry.

Out of this year's Federal Budget, $950.7 million will go towards mental health services, $1.6 million of which will go to the Gold Coast Drug Council for services, counselling and case management.

Prof McGorry, the director of National Youth Mental Health Foundation, spoke at the Australian Rotary Health Early Psychosis Symposium in Surfers Paradise this week.

He said one-quarter of people aged between 12 and 25 need mental health care.

More than 91,300 youths aged between 12 and 25 live on the Gold Coast, according to the 2006 Census of Gold Coast Population and Housing.

Extrapolating to Prof McGorry's theory, more than 22,000 Gold Coast youths need mental health care of some kind.

"The availability of drugs on the Gold Coast can trigger those who are vulnerable, creating a concern for those who have a mental illness," he said.

Prof McGorry said the Southport youth mental health centre, headspace, was established more than two years ago and was well used.

"They have quite a substantial waiting list, so the demand is there," he said.

He said although the Gold Coast had a good number of 'building blocks' for youth mental health centres, the challenge now is to strengthen them and 'integrate them into a seamless system of mental health care for young people'.

Prof McGorry said there were 30 headspaces nationwide and the number would grow to 90 centres within four years.

In regards to youth unemployment on the Gold Coast, he said it was crucial for young people to have a meaningful pathway in life.

"We try hard to get those with mental illnesses back to work or school because it creates an important and meaningful social role," he said.

Gold Coast Medical Association mental health spokesman Dr Philip Morris said: "A lot of young people from around Australia come to the Gold Coast to get help, thinking the sun and desirable lifestyle will help with their rehabilitation."

"The reality is they do not have the family and support system they had back home."

He said this could lead the youth further down the path of depression and in some cases, the youth becoming homeless.

"They may go down paths that they would not normally have gone down, such as drug and alcohol addictions," he said.

Gold Coast Accommodation In Surfer's Paradise | Buy Aussie

Article by Bailey Jamieson

Your next vacation should be to Gold Coast Australia,the Surfer’s Paradise. The sixth largest city in the country,Gold Coast is a top rated vacation destination. It hosts a subtropic region with an approximate high temperature of eighty three degrees. This locale is very appealing to the surfing crowd and the sun worshippers. Make sure to find a Gold Coast Accommodation.

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Deciding what activity to do while visiting Gold Coast,is the dilemma. There are many activities to choose from such as visiting Sea World or Wet ‘N’Wild,sunbathing on the beach,surfing,fishing,or snorkeling. If the visitor is looking for pampering there are some great spas in the area.

Places to stay in Gold Coast are countless. There are hotels,homes and apartments to rent and many others to choose from. Beginning a search is not difficult. The first priority should be to decide the amount of people in your party. Some hotels have room rental limits on the amount of people that can stay in a room. For example,many hotels have a four person to a room regulation.

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Gold Coast is full of fun attractions. The Sea World Resort and Water Park caters to the family. The resort offers over four hundred rooms. Some are suites and some have an adjoining room. The Family Room has the rooms that are next to each other with a common door to accommodate a bigger family. A visitor can be treated like royalty by staying in the Royal Suite. The visitor can expect Champagne and Strawberries upon arrival. Other amenities in that room are a spa bath to enjoy.

Checking online and searching websites is a wonderful way to find a great hotel,travel discounts,promotions and coupons. Traveling to this paradise is many a visitors dream for a wonderful getaway. While browsing the internet,make sure to check out reviews of the hotels before deciding on them.

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