Amran Dhillon is a uni student, youth mental health advocate, and member of
headspace’s inaugural Youth Reference Group (hY NRG).
Amran will be joining mental health advocates, including Australian of the Year Professor Patrick McGorry, for a discussion about the issues facing young Australians later this month.
Click here to book a free ticket for the event
A Conversation with Professor Patrick McGorry (7.30-9.30pm, 29 July at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre).
Why should people attend the Public Event on 29 July?
The public event is a great opportunity to be involved in a discussion with Professor Patrick McGorry about the issues facing young Australians. Alongside Pat will be a panel of mental health advocates, including myself, that will be available to respond to the public about any general queries they have regarding the mental health of young Australians.
You’re the Youth Co-Convener for Heads Up! The First International Youth Mental Health Conference (29-30 July), presented by headspace. What does this involve?
As one of the youth co-convenors I will represent the youth of this country and help ensure that young people are a part of the event. The opportunity to participate in the introduction and conclusion of the conference is the highlight in this role. As the conference relates to issues surrounding youth, it’s important to have a youth co-convenor to remind fellow professionals and delegates attending, that the conference is important to us and youth in particular have taken time out to be directly involved. I will also be involved in co-chairing some streams that will be running over the two day event, which may involve introducing key note speakers.
How do you feel about being the face of Heads Up!?
It is quite exciting, actually, to see my face on so much advertising and marketing material for a very important conference. Most people would assume that it is just a random shot of some young person who was asked to feature in the program forms and other material. However, in this case, I wasn’t just the face of the conference, but more importantly I was given the opportunity to be involved in some preparations of the conference mainly assisting in areas such as youth participation.
Why did you get involved with headspace?
I have always had a passion in this area and wanted to be a mental health advocate for this country, and
headspace has helped me achieve this goal. Getting involved in
headspace was an excellent opportunity to help inform the general community about what mental health entails.
Why are you so passionate about the issue of youth mental health?
Youth mental health is a complex phenomenon to deal with, not just for the person suffering, but equally for the support programs and interventions required. Youth are the future of this country and their capacity to function is vital to the success of our nation. Despite this, mental health still does not receive the attention it deserves, nor does it gain the same recognition as other mainstream chronic and acute medical conditions. My passion for youth mental health is driven from this general lack of insight into the importance of mental illness.
What do you want to tell young people about youth mental health?
I want to emphasise to young people that mental health is just as important as physical health and that if at any stage in life that becomes disruptive should be dealt with early. I hope that in time younger people will be better equipped to respond to the needs of their health, and seek help early whether it is for themselves or a friend.