A lack of job opportunities has also contributed to poor mental health, Malak Tamimi says.
Photo: Unsplash / Gemma Evans
A 16-year-old is hoping for more investment in mental health for young people in this year’s Budget.
Finance Minister Nicola Willis will be delivering the Budget on Thursday.
Save the Children ambassador Malak Tamimi told Morning Report that young people felt hopeless about their future.
Tamimi said young people were struggling with the cost of living, especially those who were helping their whānau to put food on the table.
A lack of job opportunities, as well as clear career pathways, also contributed to poor mental health, Tamimi added.
“So we would like to see more investment into that, especially for our most vulnerable young people who are not able to access these mental health resources, which all link to also climate anxiety and the lack of hope that there will be a future for us.”
Tamimi also hoped for more investment in racial education and cultural literacy literacy for young people to mitigate racism.
“Being a young Palestinian Muslim living in Dunedin … I’ve seen the first hand experiences that a lack of education has on people, you know, you form your assumptions and stereotypes and bias from what you hear around you.
“I believe that if you are educated on this from a younger age, then you begin to learn from people without having that unconscious bias in front of you to be a border between understanding other people in different cultures.”
Tamimi agreed with Morning Report presenter Ingrid Hipkiss that these were big issues for a 16-year-old to be grappling with.
“It’s issues that can impact us in multiple ways of our lives and the way we interact with others and the way we are sitting in school.
“We’re like, ‘What is this going to even do to my future if I’m not going to have one that is that reliable or that great of an environment for me to live in?'”
Where to get help:
Need to Talk? Free call or text 1737 any time to speak to a trained counsellor, for any reason.
Lifeline: 0800 543 354 or text HELP to 4357.
Suicide Crisis Helpline: 0508 828 865 / 0508 TAUTOKO. This is a service for people who may be thinking about suicide, or those who are concerned about family or friends.
Depression Helpline: 0800 111 757 or text 4202.
Samaritans: 0800 726 666.
Youthline: 0800 376 633 or text 234 or email talk@youthline.co.nz.
What’s Up: 0800 WHATSUP / 0800 9428 787. This is free counselling for 5 to 19-year-olds.
Asian Family Services: 0800 862 342 or text 832. Languages spoken: Mandarin, Cantonese, Korean, Vietnamese, Thai, Japanese, Hindi, Gujarati, Marathi, and English.
Rural Support Trust Helpline: 0800 787 254.
Healthline: 0800 611 116.
Rainbow Youth: (09) 376 4155.
OUTLine: 0800 688 5463.
If it is an emergency and you feel like you or someone else is at risk, call 111.
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