As part of this report, the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) sought young people’s perspectives through collaboration with the Wellbeing, Health and Youth (WH&Y) Commission.

The Commission was established as part of the Wellbeing, Health and Youth Centre of Research Excellence in Adolescent Health, funded by the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC). The Commission is a platform for young peoples’ ongoing participation in creating adolescent health research agendas, research design, delivery and advocacy.

The Commission also works with other experts to address ethical dilemmas and to advise on translating adolescent health research. Its current 20 members, aged 15 to 22, have lived experience from a diverse range of socioeconomic and ethnic backgrounds. The Commission is supported to become an expert group of young people, trained in a range of core aspects of research and translation.

The Commission’s involvement in Australia’s youth was to provide input on the topics included in the report, as well as draft information pieces on 3 topics of particular importance to young people and for which only limited data are currently available. The 3 topics are:

  • climate change, authored by Rose Lewis and Lisa Lewis
  • discrimination, belonging and health, authored by Harpreet Dhillon and Jahin Tanvir
  • the wellbeing of LGBTIQ+ young people, authored by Finn Stannard and Gale Marshall.

In the drafting process, the authors drew on input from other young people through targeted consultations, and feedback from academics with subject matter expertise.

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Australia's youth: