Spotlight On Risks Facing Youth At Wellington Symposium

Media release
3 April 2012

Spotlight On Risks Facing Youth At Wellington Symposium

The major risks facing young New Zealanders are poverty, violence and alcohol according to the latest findings from the Youth Health and Wellbeing Survey conducted by The University of Auckland.

Spokesperson Dr Simon Denny says these risks are compounded by the current health system, which does not meet the needs of young people.

“We need new approaches to deliver health care to meet youth needs,” Dr Denny says.

The Youth Health and Wellbeing Survey has been conducted in 2000 and 2007 and researchers are this year back surveying 10,000 students in 100 randomly selected secondary schools to update their research.

Dr Denny says the surveys provide a snapshot of youth health and wellbeing and the series allows for these snapshots to be compared.

More than a 100 health and youth-care professionals gather at Te Papa on Wednesday 4 April to review the Survey data which Dr Denny and his colleagues have continued to analyse with startling results.

These include:
• Significant numbers of young people struggling
• The major risks facing young people are poverty, violence and alcohol
• Nearly half the males and a third of females had experienced physical violence in the last 12 months
• Nearly half of all youth surveyed had witnessed violence, in terms of yelling and swearing, in their homes
• A third of students reported binge drinking at least once in the four weeks before the survey
• Young people are experiencing discrimination and this affects their health
• School and community environments impact on youth health and achievement
• Substantial numbers of young people forgo healthcare, particularly young people with emotional and behavioural health concerns
• Current GP services are not meeting the needs of young people.

The data shows that most youth are experiencing good mental health and it does dispel myths, which claim most adolescents are sexually active and that there is widespread use of ‘P’ amongst young people.

“Our research shows these urban myths are just plain wrong, but there are serious issues affecting our young people that we need to address.”

For more information:

Youth Health and Wellness Symposium
9am-5.30pm
Wednesday 4 April 2012

Te Papa, Oceania, Level 3 (from the main foyer take lift to level 3)

ENDS

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