Original title: Rates and covariates of suicidal behaviour and mental ill-health in young Australians: findings from wave one of the Right Here, Right Now national survey
Jo Robinson, Bridget Kenny, Elise Carrotte, Shu Mei Teo +6 · September 2026
Many young people struggle with distress, but health experts need accurate figures to understand how common these struggles are. Researchers surveyed young Australians aged 12 to 25 years to measure thoughts of suicide, self-harmIntentionally hurting oneself, often to cope with emotional pain., depression, and anxiety, along with factors linked to them. The team asked participants online about their life experiences, feelings, and backgrounds. They discovered high levels of distress: about one in three young people had thought about suicide during their life, and over one quarter had self-harmed. Over one third had at least moderate depression or anxiety symptoms. Rates were highest among trans and/or gender diverse youth, followed by cisgenderPeople whose gender identity matches the sex they were assigned at birth. women and girls. Problems like loneliness, younger age, and difficult childhood events were tied to thoughts of suicide and self-harm. The authors concluded that rates look higher than earlier estimates, meaning leaders must fix broader social conditions rather than just treating individuals.
A doctor asks every patient the same question about feeling sad. But some patients have gone through very hard experiences that make them much more likely to feel hopeless, and the doctor misses them because the question is too broad. Here the researchers surveyed many young people and found that those with specific past hardships, like childhood trauma or losing someone to suicide, are the ones most at risk for suicidal thoughts.
These numbers mean suicide is not rare among young people—it is common. Trans and gender diverse youth and young women/girls face the highest rates. The findings call for urgent action that goes beyond individual therapy to tackle loneliness, trauma, and social exclusion.
This is a cross-sectional survey, so it cannot show what causes suicidal thoughts or self-harm—only that certain factors are linked. The sample was recruited online through convenience methods, which may not fully represent all young Australians. The data come from a single wave, so trends over time are not yet available. Future waves will help.
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Rates and covariates of suicidal behaviour and mental ill-health in young Australians: findings from wave one of the Right Here, Right Now national survey — Jo Robinson, Bridget Kenny, Elise Carrotte et al. — PsyArXiv — doi:10.31234/osf.io/v6xjs_v1
Abstract licence: CC BY
Explanation generated by Synthesis from the abstract — it is not the original paper. This is a preprint, so it hasn't necessarily been peer reviewed.