Our manifesto
Life quickly changes and things can become uncertain and overwhelming – especially if you’re feeling isolated and disconnected.
So it’s no surprise this is the time when people are most likely to face mental health challenges.
Especially to us. Because we know how it feels. We’re the Australian Youth Advocates for Mental Health, and every one of us has experienced mental health challenges of our own.
The truth is, it’s hard to talk about something you can’t see. It’s hard to find the words to explain something that’s invisible.
But we want to change that.
We want to help young people feel safe, supported and accepted for their mental health. How? By sharing our own stories and making the unseen seen.
We have partnered with talented artists to produce an insightful collection of creative expressions that shine a light on our real experiences facing mental health challenges.
We believe these expressions will have the power to open people’s eyes to the truth about mental health – so that our communities become more accepting and understanding, and young people can feel more comfortable talking about their invisible challenges.
We’re on a mission to make our stories, and our worlds visible – for all the world to see.
Who’s behind Visible?
We’re the Australian Youth Advocates for Mental Health (AYAMH), a diverse group of young ambassadors from across Australia who have all experienced our own mental health challenges. We were brought together to co-design a national initiative to help improve the mental health and wellbeing of young people.
Through Visible, we want to share our stories to help other young people feel safe, supported and accepted for their mental health. We want to reduce the stigma surrounding mental health, encourage others to open up about their own experiences, and inspire a culture of acceptance and understanding in our communities.
Visible is co-ordinated by headspace, funded by the Australian Government Department of Health, and supported by a cross-sector group comprising of Batyr, Beyond Blue, Black Dog Institute, Butterfly Foundation, Consumers Health Forum of Australia, Mind, Orygen, ReachOut and SANE Australia.
