I love being a mum. I feel lucky every day I have the opportunity to watch my kids grow. I also feel lucky that when my children were small I had a network of mum friends with whom to share the ups and downs of being a new parent—friends who were with me in the trenches of newborns and toddlers and who knew the worry and guilt that sometimes comes with figuring out how to be a mum. I still have and treasure these friendships, and we still share parenting stories, but the worries about our children have changed. We're increasingly concerned about the state of the world we're leaving for our children, and, importantly, how the world around us is affecting our kids' mental health. This job has shown me it's not just mums who are concerned; since being elected I've been inundated with calls and emails and meetings with parents in Curtin who are worried about their kids' mental health and are desperate to find out what they can do to help them access services and what can be done to address the causes.

Last week the Lancet psychiatry commission on youth mental health was published, the product of a team of 50 leading psychiatrists, psychologists, academics and young people. It was reported in the media, with headlines declaring 'Youth mental health is a global crisis' and 'Youth mental health in a dangerous phase of decline'. The report, led by Professor Patrick McGorry, of Orygen, showed that over the last 15 to 20 years there has been a 50 per cent increase in the need for mental health care for young people. In Australia two out of five young people and almost one in two young women are affected.

The commission looked at the global contributors to this increase, which included intergenerational inequality, unregulated social media, insecurity of employment and climate change. The statistics in the report are horrifying. Globally, mental disorders are the leading causes of disability among young people. Suicide is the leading cause of death among people aged 15 to 44 in Australia. But even when these illnesses do not cause death or disability they're the most rapidly growing cause of lost human potential and productivity across the life span. Professor McGorry said, 'This is the most serious public health problem we've got.'

Alarmingly, of the young Australians that have a diagnosable and treatable condition, only 50 per cent of people with mental illness are getting access to care. Young people are falling through the cracks because they're too unwell, not unwell enough or the wrong age, or because medical services are fully booked, or because of a lack of appropriate models of care. I know that in my electorate it's almost impossible to access a child psychologist, with 12-month waiting lists to see a paediatric psychiatrist. For an electorate that has one of the best medical and hospital precincts in the state, this seems outrageous. The services our kids need are just not available.

One of the findings of the Lancet report was that mental health services are desperately underfunded. Mental health issues account for 45 per cent of the disease burden for 10- to 24-year-olds worldwide but only two per cent of health budgets globally. I've discussed this with my youth advisory group, a group of year 11 students who represent their schools and let me know what matters for young people in Curtin and what they're worried about. Last year one of the students wisely said:

We need to recognise that mental health challenges are not a personal failing, but a societal issue. Young people are facing an unprecedented level of stress and pressure, from social media to academic expectations, to family and community dynamics.

Reform is desperately needed so that we can support our children when they need it. We need to increase community awareness and education, especially about prevention and the social and economic determinants of mental health. We need soft entry to care that's rapid, easy and affordable, and which is youth friendly and stigma free. We need strong connections between mental health providers and schools. We need to integrate digital support across all stages of care as well as before entry to face-to-face care. Crucially, we need to make sure that youth specific care is reflective of the needs associated with the life stage of emerging adulthood. Care must be private and confidential, but support systems like family, education and employment must be engaged and supported.

The government has committed to a review of youth mental health services, but I'm worried we're doing too little, too late. I really hope that reports like that from the Lancet psychiatry commission will inform a substantial significant response from government, with funding commensurate to the problem. Our kids need us to act now