No excuses. Review of youth mental health services is needed now

August 26, 2026 — 5:00am

You have reached your maximum number of saved items.

Remove items from your saved list to add more.

Every suicide is one too many. A state Department of Health spokesperson made the comment to The Age in relation to two clusters of youth suicides in Melbourne. This week we reported that a total of 10 young people, at least six under 16 – the youngest being 13 – died in September-October last year and last May. The spokesperson is, of course, right.

The suicide of a young life carries with it an intensity of pain, primarily for family and friends, but in a wider sphere to the community. It is an issue that requires immediate attention. It must be tackled and it must be above politics and its attendant point scoring.

The tragedies are the latest revelations regarding Victoria’s youth mental health system to emerge from The Age’s reporting on the area this month. The investigations have uncovered the closure of a children’s mental health service at a major Melbourne hospital pending a bullying investigation into certain staff. In parliament on Friday, opposition health spokesperson Georgie Crozier named the service as Austin Health’s........

© The Age