Are we reaching them yet? Service access patterns among attendees at the headspace youth mental health initiative

Australian young people have a high prevalence of mental health problems but low rates of service use. This article examines whether the Australian National Youth Mental Health Foundation, headspace, has helped redress this through providing youth-specific services.

The article compares headspace service use demographics with population data from the Australian Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing from 2007.

Headspace has improved access relative to the population, particularly among males and socially and economically excluded young people.

Despite overall successes, certain ethnic and age groups appear under-represented and in need of more careful targeting by youth mental health services.