Are anti-depressants being used as a quick-fix?
Australia has always been seen as the lucky country, and in many ways it still is.
But, remarkably, we are now the second highest users of anti-depressants in the world.
We even now have toddlers on anti-depressants, while a growing number of school children are being prescribed the drugs.
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Australia's use of anti-depressants has doubled over the past decade.
By 2010 there were 26,605 children under 18 on prescribed anti-depressants and 1,264 aged two to six-years-old.
Psychotherapist Dr Karen Phillip said: "There is a 35 per cent increase in children from ten to 14 that have been prescribed anti-depressants over the last few years, by continually prescribing antidepressants for anything and everything that a person goes to a doctor for is tragic."
Emma O'Neil has been on anti-depressants for almost a decade, yet when first prescribed them, suffering anxiety in primary school, she was not even given a mental health diagnosis.
She said: "When I was ten I was being bullied for being overweight so that was probably where it started.
"I went to the doctor and basically they just said we will try you on this meaning anti-depressants."
Anti-depressants are prescribed too often as a first-line quick-fix.
Professor Patrick McGorry, of Headspace, said: "Anti-depressants would be considered if the depression that is being experienced is very severe or if other psychological social forms of treatment haven't worked."
Mental health groups say there's plenty of support at hand and urge people to listen, talk about problems and seek help as soon as possible.
Sebastian Robertson of BATYR, a youth mental health group, said: "In every classroom, on average, in Australia, there are five people suffering from a mental illness in silence.
"We have to make sure we focus on greater education so young people can identify when they need help earlier rather than later on."
