PM speaks to students about mental health

Scott Morrison has urged young people to seek help if they're ever struggling with mental health issues in a speech telling them "you matter".

The prime minister received an enthusiastic welcome when he and NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian addressed the Stand Tall youth event in Sydney on Wednesday.

He told students that 52 per cent of young people with a mental health issue were embarrassed to discuss it with anyone, and 49 per cent were afraid of what others thought.

Seven in 30 young people were dealing with mental health issues but only two would seek help.

"That's a great shame because there's heaps of help out there if you're having difficulties," Mr Morrison said.

He said they might think their challenges were small compared with what everyone else was dealing with, but they aren't.

"Why? Because you matter and the things that are affecting you matter," the prime minister said.

He urged them to seek the help of services like Kids Helpline, Headspace and Reachout if a friend was struggling.

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