Mental health clinic supports youth

St Vincent’s hospital has opened a private mental health unit that specifically caters to young adults.

This is the first private mental health unit of its kind in Australia.

The $4 million 20-bed unit provides in-and-out-patient treatment for 16 to 30-year-olds.

The new facility was inspired by Orygen Youth Health in Melbourne, a public metal health facility for young adults set up by Australian of the Year Professor Patrick McGorry.

Both units provide early intervention for younger Australians suffering from early psychosis or mood disorders using innovative treatments.

With 75 per cent of mental health problems emerging before the age of 25, current mental health services are inadequate for younger sufferers.

Professor McGorry said: “Australians remain up to 3 times less likely to access quality care for mental ill-health than for physical ill-health.

“The peak period for onset of mental ill-health is between 12 to 25 yet this age group has the worst access to care. Currently, our system is weakest where it needs to be strongest.”

Maree Whybourne, Head Fundraiser for the project, explained the need for a separate unit for younger patients.

“One big issue for kids is when they need to be admitted to hospital, it is in an adult unit. They are put amongst heavily medicated patients and we hear time and time again that kids are scared and find the experience very traumatic,” she said.

The purpose-built ward is designed with young people and the accompanying stress of hospitalisation in mind.

Nurse Unit Manager Kate Harel said: “It doesn’t look like a hospital at all.

Everything has been designed … all the furniture all the graphics and every single aspect of this unit has been designed with the needs of these young people in mind.

“So the young people who come here say ‘It looks like a really groovy boutique hotel or a really funky youth hostel’.”

Ms Harel hopes the Sydney unit will pave the way for similar mental health facilities to open all over the country.

“We hope that this unit will provide a model, both in terms of design and in terms in how we offer treatment that will be replicated in the future in other private hospitals and then in the public sector” she said.

“We can see 20 patients but there are thousands and thousands of young people out there that need help.”

By Kate Horowitz