Abstract
BACKGROUND: New approaches to mental health and substance use prevention, that bridge research and diagnostic silos are urgently needed to address rising trends in mental illness amongst young people. Engaging diverse stakeholders, including young people, in setting research priorities could aid the development of innovative responses, enhance research and improve translation. While previous activities have identified priorities for Australian mental health and substance use prevention research, none have centred young people as a primary stakeholder. The current study is a critical next step to understand youth perspectives. METHODS: This Youth Priorities Project was coproduced with members of The Matilda Centre and PREMISE NHMRC Centre of Research Excellence Youth Advisory Board. The project involved three iterative stages: (1) an online survey; (2) consultations via focus groups and (3) a final consensus workshop to summarise key recommendations for principles, priorities and actions. RESULTS: A diverse group of young people aged 16-25 were recruited for Stage 1 (n = 653), Stage 2 (n = 7) and Stage 3 (n = 3). Youth participants emphasised the need for increased investment in prevention research targeting a broad range of social determinants and health behaviours and their intersecting effects on youth mental ill health. There were strong calls to government to address economic drivers of mental health, to increase timely access to subsidised mental health support, and to better equip schools to support student wellbeing and mental health. CONCLUSION: Young people had valuable and unique insights on how research and policy responses regarding youth mental health and substance use could be improved. PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION: A coproduction Research Team (CPRT) was established, including two youth researchers who guided all stages of the research from conceptualisation, ethics approval, survey and study design, analysis and write-up. A Youth Advisory Board was also consulted.