Priority Wellbeing Issues
The following issues are documented as the most significant wellbeing challenges for students in Victoria, based on national and state-level Australian data.
Depression & Psychological Distress
1 in 5 teensMission Australia Youth Survey 2024 identifies one in five Victorian teens with high psychological distress. Victoria has the highest demand on youth mental health services nationally.
Read deep dive →School Belonging
↓ Declining since 2020Belonging and connectedness scores have declined significantly in Victorian secondary schools since COVID, linked to hybrid learning disruption and social withdrawal.
Read deep dive →Loneliness
20%+ of teensOver one in five young Victorians report feeling lonely most or all of the time — a key predictor of depression and disengagement from school.
Read deep dive →Online Hate & Harmful Content
eSafety documentedeSafety research documents high rates of exposure to hate and harmful content among Victorian teens active on social platforms.
Read deep dive →Who attends school in Victoria?
2,310 schools · 1,067,614 students
These indicators highlight student groups that research shows are at higher risk of wellbeing challenges and may require additional support. Averages are across all schools in Victoria.
of students in schools fall in the lowest quarter of socio-educational advantage nationally
average proportion of Indigenous students across schools — a group with documented higher wellbeing needs
of students have a language background other than English (LBOTE) — requiring culturally aware wellbeing approaches
Source: ACARA National School Profile, data as at March 2025. ICSEA ranges from ~500 to ~1300; national average is 1000. Equity figures are school-level averages, not student-weighted.
Cities & Regions in Victoria
Select a city or region to explore a detailed wellbeing report for that specific area, including local data, priority issues, and prevention insights.
The challenge schools in Victoria face
Schools across Victoria are doing their best with the resources and information they have. But wellbeing challenges like anxiety, disengagement, and self-harm are often invisible until they become urgent. Teachers and principals are not mental health specialists — and without systematic data, they are working without a map.
When schools measure student emotional readiness to learn regularly and systematically, the warning signs become visible weeks before a crisis. That window is where prevention lives.
Sources & References
The data presented on this page is sourced from reputable Australian government and research organisations.
- 📊Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS)
www.abs.gov.au ↗ - 🏥Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW)
www.aihw.gov.au ↗ - 🎓Department of Education
www.education.gov.au ↗ - 📚State and Territory Education Departments
Regional data from state-specific education authorities