Marking its third year of supporting young men in talking about their mental health, Youth Focus has launched the 2025 M8D8 campaign. Celebrating the importance of friendship when life gets tough, the campaign encourages young men to be there for a mate’s mental health. Proudly supported by Alcoa, M8D8 focuses on the Peel and South-West region and highlights that conversations with mates can make a big difference to a young man’s mental health – before problems become too big to cope with.
With nearly 40% of young people aged 16-24 having experienced a mental health challenge in the previous 12 months, the prevalence of mental ill-health has increased almost 50% since 2007*. This shows how it is more important than ever to increase mental health awareness and support, particularly in regional WA.
Young people in the Peel and South-West region face significant barriers which can delay or prevent them from accessing the services and support they need, potentially increasing the severity of mental health challenges and subsequent impact on not only a young person’s life, but those around them.
Mark Barret-Lennard, Youth Focus Service Manager for Peel and the South-West, reflected on the impact of M8D8 in the region.
“M8D8 brings home the importance of not only building a network of mates but showing up for them and being real,” Mark said.
“Isolation and loneliness are feelings many young men in the Peel and South-West have experienced, and M8D8 is about relying on and supporting their mates so they have a network of people they can turn to if things get tough.”
M8D8 encourages young men to talk about how they are feeling whether it is good or bad. “Normalising conversations about wellbeing and getting support at the onset of experiences with mental health, rather than at crisis point, can completely shift the trajectory of a young person’s life,” reflects Mark.
Alcoa’s Vice President Operations – Australia Elsabe Muller said the company was proud to have championed the M8D8 campaign since its beginning three years ago.
“As a major employer in the Peel and South-West, many of our young trade, apprentice and graduate employees live in regional communities where research tells us they are more likely to face significant life challenges and stressors,” Elsabe said.
“By encouraging early, healthy and informed conversations around mental health, the M8D8 campaign reinforces social connections and reduces the stigma in young men to share their feelings.
“Reaching out to a mate who doesn’t seem like their normal self might be the very thing that helps them get through a difficult time before it becomes overwhelming.”
The M8D8 campaign reminds young men to check in on their mates, ask the hard questions and reach out when things are getting tough. Breaking the pattern of silence with regular, casual chats about how a mate is feeling can be life changing.
For more information, visit youthfocus.com.au/m8d8, or follow @m8d8_wa on Instagram.
*National Study of Mental Health and Wellbeing 2020-2022 – 38.8% of young adults aged 16-24 years experienced a mental disorder in the previous 12 months. This means that the prevalence of mental ill-health has increased almost 50% since 2007.