Young people have joined professional artists to paint two murals in the City of Melville to help stimulate important conversations about mental health.
Mental health counsellor Orion Read met with young people during a series of workshops to talk about depression, suicide, resilience and overcoming adversity before artists Shavaurn Hanson and Olivia Robinson then incorporated the ideas from 54 young people into two mural designs, which were painted by young attendees over the weekends in late 2022.
City of Melville Mayor George Gear JP said the murals aimed to remove stigma and encourage people to seek help when they are struggling.
“The city recognises the important role we play in supporting the mental health of young people and we were proud to be involved in this project,” he said.
“By providing opportunities like this, young people can express themselves creatively, make friends and reinforce the importance of self-care and seeking help.”
According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare’s suicide and self-harm monitoring, suicide is the leading cause of death for young people aged 15 to 24. About 75 per cent of common mental health issues emerge before the age of 25.
Informed by voices of young people as outlined in the Directions from Young People Strategy, the city is exploring more opportunities like this to help young people express themselves and understand how to cope.
The project was funded by a grant from the WA Primary Health Alliance under the Perth South National Suicide Prevention Trial.
An important outcome of the project funding is the ability to provide 200 members of the community free access to Suicide Prevention in Everyday Life training.
The city is encouraging parents of teens to take up this training developed by the Black Dog Institute.
The online training will help someone have a difficult conversation with a family member, friend or work colleague who hasn’t been themselves lately and respond appropriately.
