Med J Aust || doi: 10.5694/mja2.52047 Published online: 24 July 2023 The mental health of young Australians is rapidly declining.1,2 The evidence for this is increasingly solid and reflects a worldwide trend.3,4,5,6,7 This steady erosion of our collective mental wealth is not only a human tragedy but an economic one.8 Yet despite this worldwide megatrend, public and media discourse is muffled. Health and social care systems remain asymmetrically focused on physical illness and disability.