A new National Youth Mental Health Foundation will help to reduce the burden of mental illness, Prime Minister John Howard has said.
Mr Howard said the aim of the foundation is to promote early, effective intervention for young people aged 12 to 25 with mental health and related substance use disorders.
"As I think we all know, young people are particularly vulnerable to mental illness," Mr Howard told reporters in Sydney.
"Three quarters of mental health problems begin before the age of 25 and mental illness can be brought on or exacerbated by drug and alcohol misuse."
Mr Howard said a consortium led by the Orygen Research Centre at the University of Melbourne had been selected to establish the foundation.
Other members of the consortium are the Brain and Mind Institute, the Australian Psychological Society and the Australian Divisions of General Practice.
Pacific Magazines chairman and Seven Network Asia president Ryan Stokes will chair the foundation, which will receive federal government funding of $54 million over four years.
The foundation is expected to be up and running early next year.
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