New funding has been announced that will see the continuation of valuable youth mental health services Australia-wide.

The headspace initiative provides assistance to young people, helping out those dealing with depression, substance abuse and other mental health issues. The funding announced today will establish 15 news centres, bringing the total country-wide to 70 facilities.

Federal Minister for Mental Health, Mark Butler, said “We know that 1 in 4 young people will experience a mental health issue this year, making it the single biggest issue facing young Australians... three-quarters of these people aren’t receiving the professional help they need because of a lack of access to youth-specific mental health services.”

Stats say 92 per cent of young people have reported improvements in their mental health after using headspace. The new agencies were independently selected following an Expression of Interest process, for more information about the program, go to the headspace website.