RESEARCH | Early – and more rapid – exposure to the oestradiol (E2) hormone during puberty can lead to faster brain maturation and a greater risk of mental ill-health in girls. That's the key finding of a study led by Orygen PhD student Muskan Khetan: bit.ly/4pyX3Wm

As the most effective evidence-based supported employment program used in mental health services worldwide, IPS is all about supporting young people into meaningful work and study – and so is Orygen's Youth IPS Centre of Excellence 🧵 #InclusionAtWorkWeek

A consortium of 13 expert organisations, led by Orygen, has handed down advice on models of youth mental health care in Australia. It's a significant piece of work that we hope sets a clear path forward. Summary + full reports: bit.ly/3LPI6Rd

3 days left to apply for the ASEAN-Pacific Youth Mental Health Fellowship! This innovative program supports Fellows to develop a youth mental health advocacy project plan, designed around the needs of their communities in the ASEAN-Pacific region: bit.ly/4hDNWRt

RESOURCE | Used to treat psychotic spectrum disorders including schizophrenia, clozapine is a medication that comes with specific requirements such as regular physical health tests. Explaining this and similar FAQs is the focus of a new guide, co-designed with lived experience: bit.ly/3L2Z3r0

Helping parents better recognise and respond to emotions in themselves and others can measurably impact their adolescent children's developing brains. That's the key finding of a world-first study led by Sylvia Lin, published today in @jamapediatrics.com: bit.ly/48QepZJ

We're looking forward to @swanresearch.bsky.social's Body Image & Related Disorders (BIRD) Conference on Friday 7 November at 10am (AEDT). In-person tickets are sold out, but there's a limited number of places left to join online. Registrations close on 30/10: bit.ly/4lZGqSC

It's been another proud week for us at Orygen, with Dr Louise La Sala (@louiselasala.bsky.social) and Dr Lucy Zhang recognised for their impactful work 🧵

We're excited to be collaborating with Japan's National Centre for Neurology and Psychiatry (NCNP) to share and apply evidence-based practice on vocational support for young people with mental ill-health, made possible by an Australia-Japan Foundation grant.

We're proud to share that over 20,000 young Australians have now been supported by MOST, Orygen Digital's free mental health service for people aged 12 to 25 🙌 More on this milestone: bit.ly/4hdG5Kl

RESOURCES | Schools and other educational settings are increasingly being recognised for the meaningful role they can play in supporting young people's mental health and wellbeing. These free resources are designed to help schools, teachers + clinicians: bit.ly/4oaY99W

Applications are open for the ASEAN-Pacific Youth Mental Health Fellowship! This opportunity is open to people aged 18 to 30, from Australia or the ASEAN-Pacific region, who are passionate about creating positive change in youth mental health: bit.ly/3LcnAGH

It's #WorldMentalHealthDay: an important reminder of the need to keep youth mental health at the top of the agenda. This was epitomised at the recent United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), where mental health reached high-level status for the first time. More: bit.ly/3VHvfCp

Orygen's latest Certificate IV in Mental Health Peer Work course has just started, and we're thrilled to have welcomed such a passionate cohort of students including Amanda and Amelia. More about the course: bit.ly/46Htprp

RESEARCH | A recent study led by Orygen PhD candidate Rosalind Ge has revealed the impact parents can have on young people's sleep – with important implications for youth mental health. Details: bit.ly/3VV77MD

Attended by Orygen leaders Nataya Branjerdporn, Prof. Jo Robinson, Prof. @eoinkillackey.bsky.social and Prof. Patrick McGorry (pictured L-R, photo 1), mental health took centre stage at a United Nations General Assembly High-level Meeting for the first time recently. Highlights: bit.ly/3VHvfCp

Research indicates that social media is likely among the megatrends contributing to youth mental ill-health, but it isn't the only factor at blame. With national social media bans for under-16s on the horizon, Prof. Pat McGorry has shared his thoughts with The Age: bit.ly/4gRtnkd

Here's a look back at some of Orygen's September highlights 🧵 We were thrilled to be at the United Nations General Assembly in New York, where mental health was firmly on the agenda. 📸 L-R: Orygen's Nataya Branjerdporn, Prof. Jo Robinson, Prof. @eoinkillackey.bsky.social and Prof. Pat McGorry.

Supporting young people means understanding how they think, learn and process the world around them. These free Orygen resources are designed to help clinicians understand and support cognition in youth mental health, and you can find them here: bit.ly/48ybzs7

Orygen’s Brief Intervention Toolkit (BIT) aims to help clinicians deliver short-term mental health assessment and support. Our next one-day training is happening on 9 Oct – register for unique, in-person learning with experienced clinical educators: bit.ly/3VGpxRg

We're stepping out for youth mental health this Sunday at Melbourne's Princes Park 🌳 Keen to join in? Registrations are open here, and if you can't make it on the day, any donation over $2 is tax-deductible and will help make a real impact: bit.ly/3HVyG4S

Orygen was proud to be among global experts in Berlin recently for #IEPA15. A highlight of the conference was Prof. Kelly Allott's recognition with the Larry Seidman Award for outstanding mentorship. Congratulations, Kelly! More: bit.ly/46BUevI

Congratulations to these Orygen early career researchers, whose innovative work has been recognised with new grants 👏 More details: bit.ly/46BpOdj @sidchop.bsky.social @stephmiles.bsky.social

Research shows that culturally responsive and safe mental health care is not only ethical – it's also more effective in meeting young people and their family's needs. To access these free clinical practice guides, fact sheets and more, visit: bit.ly/4n2dPMS

You're invited to join us at Melbourne's Princes Park on 5 October for a 3.2km walk, run, or ride in support of youth mental health. Just by registering, you'll be helping fund art therapy programs for young people in north-west Melbourne: bit.ly/3HVyG4S

Orygen staff keeping the wheels turning as part of @iaspinfo.bsky.social's 'Cycle Around the Globe', spreading the most important message: suicide is preventable. Read about our recent suicide prevention work here: bit.ly/4phu226

Deeply grateful and excited to have been chosen by Melissa Leong and bestie Leah as the charity they're racing for in #TheAmazingRaceAU 🌏 Stories like Leah's are why we do what we do, and we hope you'll join us in cheering them on when the race starts at 7:30pm AEST tonight!

(1/2) Today, Body Image and Eating Disorders Awareness Week comes to a close for 2025 – but the urgent need for awareness and research in this space continues. Treatment options for anorexia nervosa are limited – and only effective in about 50% of people.

School suicide prevention programs offer an important opportunity to reach those at risk, but may be ineffective if implementation isn't a focus. A new Nature Mental Health paper led by Orygen's Head of Suicide Research Prof. Jo Robinson calls for a rethink: bit.ly/3VuxQzh

Sexual health is an important part of overall wellbeing, but its intersection with mental health is often overlooked. Orygen's free sexual health training module is designed to help clinicians facilitate these conversations: bit.ly/4lUWm7y #WorldSexualHealthDay

Hello, September! Let's rewind to the month that was here at Orygen 🧵 Orygen Global's ASEAN-Pacific Youth Mental Health Fellows were in Kuala Lumpur for the 2025 Fellowship Forum! There, they spent four days diving into policy workshops, connecting with likeminded advocates + exchanging insights 🙌

This Body Image and Eating Disorders Awareness Week, Orygen's Head of Eating Disorders Research, A/Prof. Andrea Phillipou, shares how our research is uncovering new hope for young people with anorexia nervosa and other eating disorders. More: bit.ly/3HXwhqu

Heading into the weekend excited and grateful after Orygen Digital's MOST won the Not-for-Profit & Community category at last night's National AIIA iAwards! More about MOST: www.most.org.au 📸 L-R: Prof. Simon Lucey presents the award to Orygen Digital's Dan Code.

On 5 October, Orygen and the James Marcon Committee will be teaming up for a 3.2km walk, run or ride at Princes Park. Join in for free coffee, the chance to win a range of prizes, and most of all, to help fund art therapy programs for young people: bit.ly/3HVyG4S

We could be one step closer to a new treatment for anorexia following promising results from a brain stimulation trial. Learn more: bit.ly/3HXUzRb

A new virtual reality tool developed in Orygen's world-leading extended reality (XR) Lab is helping young people find work and build confidence as part of their recovery from mental ill-health – all from inside a VR headset. Details: bit.ly/45P450R

Mental ill-health in young men is increasing, but rigid notions of manhood prevent men from seeking help, and a lack of tailored support is not meeting their needs when they do. A new Orygen report details an 11-point policy plan to address this and more: bit.ly/4oJ8ivB

RESEARCH | The challenges faced by families caring for a young person with mental ill-health can be significantly eased with the support of family peer workers, a new paper led by Orygen has argued – and more can be done to strengthen the field. More: bit.ly/3JfsuoT

Young people in Queensland are set to benefit from increased access to Orygen Digital's cutting-edge virtual reality tool, Mind VR, thanks to a $250k funding boost from the Queensland Mental Health Commission's Better Futures grant program. More: bit.ly/3HdjYWO

📣: There's four days left to apply for the September intake of Orygen's Certificate IV in Mental Health Peer Work (Consumer Peer Work). Scholarship applications are also invited. For more info and to apply by Monday 11 August (10:00am AEST), visit: bit.ly/3TBf3S9

There's so much we're looking forward to in August, but first here's a look back at Orygen's July 🧵 We were honoured to see Orygen Digital and MOST recognised at the 2025 VIC AIIA iAwards! 📸L-R: Orygen Digital's Acting Clinical Implementation Lead (VIC), Tiffany Low, and General Manager, Jon Myer.

Inspiring to be at Parliament House today to help amplify Ending Loneliness Together's new work, which shows an alarming 43% of those aged 15-25 are lonely. 📸: Orygen Executive Director Prof. Patrick McGorry, Youth Advisory Council member Lea Gabriel, and Youth Participation Project Officer Shenei

1 in 2 young people seeking mental health support also experience pain – and better understanding and recognising it could hold the key to improved treatment outcomes, a new study led by Orygen's Dr @scotttags.bsky.social has argued. Details: bit.ly/4fc1JNU

Applications to study Orygen's Certificate IV in Mental Health Peer Work (Consumer Peer Work) in September 2025 are now open. Thinking about applying? Register for a free info session to learn more and meet our peer work trainers: bit.ly/45W7r41

"The best we can do is sit with men in their pain, rather than try and get them to stop feeling it. This connection could be life-saving." 📰 Read more in @aunz.theconversation.com about this new world-first review, led by Orygen's @michaelwilson1.bsky.social: bit.ly/46bha6C

RESEARCH | Men who have recently experienced a relationship breakup, separation or divorce are at greater risk of suicide than their married peers, a review led by Orygen Research Fellow @michaelwilson1.bsky.social has revealed– and young men are especially at risk: bit.ly/40V52D5

We're excited to be offering 32 scholarships for our next Certificate IV in Mental Health Peer Work (Consumer Peer Work) intake 🎓 Scholarship and enrolment applications are open until 11 August 2025 (10am AEST). For more info and to apply, visit: bit.ly/45W7r41

As a Youth Delegate with Orygen, Maria Alier was one of many amazing changemakers at IAYMH 2025 earlier this year – an experience she describes as "invaluable". Read Maria's reflections in full: bit.ly/4l9HFOv

We were pleased to today welcome University of Melbourne Narrm Scholars to Orygen as part of their Industry Insights Program. It was a great opportunity to introduce our work, highlight career possibilities in youth mental health, and be inspired by these emerging changemakers 🌱

Today's launch of the Parkville Youth Mental Health and Wellbeing Service (PYMHWS) is a significant milestone in the evolution of youth mental health care in Victoria, and one Orygen is proud to have helped shape. Details: bit.ly/3GgiMBu