The Kids Helpline, Australia’s primary counselling service for young people, is unable to keep up with the surging demand for its services, according to its 2022 Impact Report. The report, published today, reveals that only two out of every five children and teenagers who sought assistance from the service were able to reach a counsellor last year.
Alarmingly, the report highlights a continued rise in the prevalence of anxiety and depression symptoms among young people, citing limited access to mental health services and delays in obtaining counselling support when needed as key factors. The report paints a disturbing picture of a system under strain, with funding shortfalls preventing the service from meeting the growing need. It also notes an increase in interventions for suicide attempts, suicidal ideation, and child abuse, compared to the period before the pandemic.
Tracy Adams, CEO of yourtown, the parent organisation of Kids Helpline, said, “As the prevalence of mental health and wellbeing related issues in childhood rises, the significant gap in accessing support deepens. We are providing a crucial safety net for children and young people, but we simply cannot keep pace with demand.”
Adams suggested that a portion of the funds withdrawn from Medicare-rebated sessions could be invested into Kids Helpline to bolster their capacity. “Over the past two years, we’ve conducted almost 180,000 counselling sessions for young people, providing a lifeline when other services are out of reach due to cost. But we are under-resourced and underfunded,” she added.
“The current serious funding shortfall means that many children and young people are simply not getting the timely care they need”
— Tracy Adams, CEO—yourtown
The report reveals that nearly 70% of all counselling sessions took place outside normal business hours, reinforcing the importance of Kids Helpline’s 24/7 availability. In total, 328,424 young people attempted to contact Kids Helpline in 2022, and 145,000 (or 44%) were able to connect with a counsellor.
The main concerns for young people in 2022 were emotional wellbeing, mental health, family relationships, and suicide. The average counselling session time was 44 minutes, a significant increase compared to pre-pandemic times, indicating the rising complexity of the issues faced by young people.
Despite the bleak picture, the Kids Helpline has seen some success stories. The My Circle platform supported nearly 5,000 new participants with peer-to-peer support, and self-help content on social media platforms reached 5.8 million people.
Nevertheless, the funding shortfall remains a critical issue. Ms Adams stressed that Kids Helpline acts as a safety net for all children and young people, not just the most vulnerable. She urged the Government to prioritise funding for Kids Helpline, saying, “The current serious funding shortfall means that many children and young people are simply not getting the timely care they need.”
Kids Helpline has been providing free and confidential 24/7 phone and online counselling service for young people aged 5 to 25 since 1991. With the current rise in mental health issues among young people, the organisation’s importance is more vital than ever, and its plea for greater funding is a call that must not be ignored.
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