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Remove items from your saved list<\/a> to add more.<\/p>\n AAA<\/p>\n When Ley Laupama was a teenager, no one went to the school counsellor.<\/p>\n \u201cThere was a lot of stigma against it. If you were seeking help, people just thought you were crazy or had problems,\u201d they said.<\/p>\n The 26-year-old from western Sydney, who uses they\/them pronouns, has dealt with severe depression and anxiety their whole life.<\/p>\n For LGBTQ young people, \u201cjust being who we are is very hard, and not all our families are accepting\u201d, Laupama said.<\/p>\n Then COVID arrived, and Laupama noticed a shift: \u201cEveryone started caring about mental health [issues because] everyone went through it.\u201d<\/p>\n In the first study of its kind, Sydney researchers have tracked a \u201crebound\u201d in youth mental health, from the lowest depths ever recorded during the COVID pandemic, and one demographic is leading the way when it comes to seeking help: LGBTQ young people.<\/p>\n A University of NSW study published in the Australian & New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry on Sunday using data from the HILDA survey \u2013 the only nationally representative longitudinal survey in Australia \u2013 found that while youth mental health has not returned to pre-pandemic levels, there are clear signs of recovery.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Study author Dr Sergey Alexeev says that while the youth mental health crisis is far from resolved, the long-term analysis demonstrates that \u201csomething is working\u201d.<\/p>\n Professor Adam Bourne, director of the Australian Research Centre in Sex, Health and Society at La Trobe University, says these green shoots of improvement are \u201cincredibly heartening\u201d.<\/p>\n Escaping lockdown is a factor, but Bourne also credits increased awareness, services and funding for mental health support.<\/p>\n \u201cThere is more public discussion and acknowledgment of mental health now than at any point in history,\u201d he said. \u201cThat means more people are accessing help, whether that\u2019s informally from friends, or stepping forward for professional support services.\u201d<\/p>\n A separate analysis found LGBTQ young people had higher rates of loneliness and psychological distress than their peers and were also significantly more likely to access professional support.<\/p>\n The headspace National Youth Mental Health survey of more than 3000 young people found 46 per cent of LGBTQ 12- to 25-year-olds sought help from a psychologist, school counsellor, mental health worker or helpline in the past year, compared with 26 per cent of young people overall.<\/p>\n Natasha Smith, headspace\u2019s LGBTQ national clinical adviser, said more than three-quarters (77 per cent) of LGBTQ young people reported high or very high levels of psychological distress, which was alarming though \u201cnot necessarily surprising\u201d, pointing to an increase in stigma<\/a> and more frequent instances of discrimination<\/a>.<\/p>\n Even with positive representation in popular culture, a young LGBTQ person may not feel connected to their immediate family, friends or school environment, which can be isolating, she said.<\/p>\n Related Article Smith said this created a \u201cnecessity\u201d to reach out and be \u201cvery proactive\u201d about finding supportive networks.<\/p>\n Laupama, who is also headspace\u2019s First Nations youth adviser, said LGBTQ youth are \u201cgood at seeking help because we have to\u201d \u2013 because \u201cwe don\u2019t always have those spaces within our homes or communities to talk transparently and openly\u201d.<\/p>\n Laupama said youth mental health has improved across the board because young people are now more open to speaking up when they\u2019re struggling, with free online resources increasing access and removing cost barriers.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s getting better,\u201d they say. \u201cI\u2019m not saying it\u2019s fully better, but it\u2019s a step forward. And at the end of the day, a step forward is better than no step at all.\u201d<\/p>\n May 17 is the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, Intersexism, and Transphobia (IDAHOBIT), celebrated globally to commemorate the World Health Organisation (WHO)\u2019s removal of homosexuality from the Classification of Diseases in 1990.<\/p>\n Start the day with a summary of the day\u2019s most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up for our Morning Edition newsletter<\/a>.<\/p>\n Save<\/p>\n You have reached your maximum number of saved items.<\/p>\n![\"Ley](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/d8a3d8cbfc701c70569f0b458a4883bf27fd81a6.jpeg\")
Ley Laupama has seen a shift in attitudes towards mental health.James Brickwood<\/p>\n![\"Nick](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/7f827d3b8776a704041e508e49377b47291b89d8.jpeg\")
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