“Gen Z is exposed to stresses previous generations didn’t face, like cyberbullying, cost-of-living pressures and climate anxiety,” said Penny.

“I think for a lot of young people who are presenting with suicidal ideation, they may not always actually want to die, but they just can’t imagine another way out of what they’re going through, whether that’s just overwhelming emotional pain, feeling like they don’t belong or not sort of being able to find a way to solve the problems that are happening for them.”

“I think the government is right to be concerned about the impact of social media on young people. We know that young people are spending more time than ever online and they are sharing this when they’re coming into headspace as well. Some studies are showing that young people are accessing social media for upwards of four hours a day and young people do kind of identify social media as both a positive and negative impact on their mental health. I think, you know, it’s really important to think about how we can support young people with this because it is impacting body dissatisfaction and sleep patterns as well.”

Access the full interview here.