A group of mental health youth advocates have released a brand new report into mental health misinformation and a digital duty of care, including finding that 50 per cent of young people agree that mental health misinformation is a big issue when it comes to looking for support.
The report is based on research co-designed by young people, for young people, with over 750 responses nationwide. It reveals the extent of the issue, with almost 80 per cent of those surveyed reporting being exposed to misleading or harmful information about mental health online (78%).
The new research also highlights the role that social media is playing in mental health misinformation, with 58 per cent of young people agreeing that social media spreads too much unverified mental health advice.
24 per cent of young people surveyed had reported mental health misinformation to a social media platform. However, of those, fewer than 20 per cent said their concern was followed up and that they were provided with adequate resources to support them (19%).
ReachOut’s Youth Advocates will travel to Parliament House in Canberra this Safer Internet Day (10 Feb) to meet with a number of MPs and Senators to discuss their policy recommendations on mental health misinformation and the Government’s upcoming Digital Duty of Care legislation.
Informed by the research findings, the advocates are calling for significant changes including verification of trusted mental health information on digital platforms, more safety features and for the government to co-design a Digital Duty of Care with young people.
Georgia Evans, on behalf of the ReachOut Youth Advocate group, said that the report not only highlighted important data, but also young peoples’ lived experiences of the impacts of mental health misinformation.
“As mental health advocates and young people with lived experience of mental health challenges, we know that mental health misinformation isn’t just irritating - it’s something we’re coming across nearly every time we’re online. And what’s really concerning is that it’s impacting our ability to access crucial mental health support.
“Our new research, which was designed by young people, for young people, shows that almost all of us are constantly navigating things like exaggeration, clickbait and fake news. Even though many young people are fact-checking, it’s still incredibly hard to know what mental health information is actually helpful and accurate.
“We’re looking forward to visiting Parliament House in Canberra this month to meet with politicians from all sides of politics. We will be discussing mental health misinformation and learning more about what a Digital Duty of Care will mean for young people and their mental health. This is a really important opportunity for us to share our lived experiences alongside the policy solutions we want to see,” she said.
CEO of youth mental health service ReachOut, Gary Groves, said that the advocates’ new research report provides vital insights into this public health issue.
“ReachOut’s Youth Advocates are sending a clear message when it comes to mental health misinformation to politicians in Canberra via their new report. Much more needs to be done in online spaces, including on social media platforms, to ensure that they have access to credible mental health information and so that these spaces are safe for them.
“This is vital when we think about mental health prevention, and consider the flow on effects for our mental health system at large.
“We know that solutions like a Digital Duty of Care have the potential to have a significant positive impact on young people’s mental health and we want to make sure that the proposal is robust, comprehensive and will live up to promises of prioritising young people's mental health online,” he said.
Black Dog Institute Professor, Jill Newby, said that the new report highlights the issue of mental health misinformation and that urgent action is needed.
"These important figures show that mental health misinformation needs to be urgently addressed. Having access to credible, evidence-based and private online mental health information can help young people get support when they need it most.
“However, this new report highlights that a lot of the information available to young people in their online worlds is not always accurate or helpful, and in some cases can be harmful. Misinformation about mental health can fuel stigma, lead to incorrect self-diagnosis, spread unsafe and misleading advice, and delay or prevent young people from seeking life-changing mental health support," she said.
For information and support visit ReachOut and ReachOut Parents.
Media Contact
Tessa Mithieux / tessa@reachout.com / 0411 708 587
Key stats
Data points are from a national survey of 765 young people aged 16 - 25 conducted in August 2025. The survey was co-designed by ReachOut’s Youth Advocates.
- 50% of young people surveyed agree that mental health misinformation is a big issue when it comes to looking for mental health support.
- 78% per cent of young people reported being exposed to misleading or harmful information about mental health online.
- 58% of young people surveyed agreed that social media spreads too much unverified mental health advice.
- 24% per cent of young people surveyed had reported mental health misinformation to a social media platform. Of those, 19% per cent said their concern was followed up and they were provided with adequate resources to support them.
- Exaggeration was the most common type of misleading or harmful mental health content that young people are coming across online (52%), followed by disinformation/clickbait (42%) and fake news (38%).
- 14% of respondents said that they always check the source of mental health information they see online, 40% said they sometimes check and 31% said they rarely or never check.
- 48% agree that it’s hard to know which mental health advice online is actually helpful.
- Young people’s most trusted sources of mental health information included mental health providers (60%), the government (34%) and people sharing their lived experience of mental ill health (33%). Only 13% said that news and media was a trusted source of mental health information for them.
Policy recommendations by ReachOut’s Youth Advocates
- Verify trusted mental health information and organisations on digital platforms
- Educate young people, parents and carers about mental health misinformation
- Hold social media companies accountable for taking swift, effective action against mental health misinformation
- Enhance mental health safety and support features on social media platforms for young people in distress
- Integrate mental health safeguards into emerging AI tools
- Invest in research to understand the impacts of mental health misinformation on young people’s wellbeing and help-seeking, and Australia’s mental health system to inform targeted solutions
- Implement a broad and robust digital duty of care which is co-designed with young people, includes specific mental health protections for young people and includes significant penalties for non-compliance by platforms.
About ReachOut
ReachOut is the leading online mental health service in Australia supporting young people during tough times.
ReachOut helps young people feel better about today and the future, no matter what challenge they’re facing. They provide a safe place where young people can openly express themselves, explore what’s happening in their lives, connect with people who understand their situation, and find the resources to help them manage their challenges now and in the future.
Anonymous, free and 100% online, ReachOut has been designed specifically for – and with – young people. From one-to-one support from experienced peer workers, to tips, stories and resources, ReachOut offers a wide range of support options that allow young people to engage in the ways they want to, when they want to, and has been doing so for more than 20 years.
And, ReachOut Parents and ReachOut Schools provide valuable information, resources and advice to help parents, carers and educators to better understand the young people in their lives and to play an active role in their wellbeing.
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