Maggie Smythe

I’m taking on the 20hours for 20Talk Challenge, because mental health shouldn’t only be a conversation once it’s reached crisis point.

Suicide is the leading cause of death for people aged 15–44 in Australia: that’s 1 in 3 young people aged 15–24, and 1 in 5 people aged 25–44. Despite the need, only 2% of mental health funding goes to prevention. Prevention isn’t an afterthought; it’s a priority.

At 15, when I was first diagnosed with depression, there was no readily available access to the kind of mental health education or tools that might have helped me understand what I was going through. It felt like help only showed up once things had already gone too far.

Looking back, I can recognise how valuable it would have been to have real support and resources before things reached a crisis. I can see how learning mental health maintenance, practical tools and lifelong skills, could have changed my path much earlier.

So what is the challenge?

On Saturday 28th June from 4:00AM til 12:00AM, I’ll be spending 20 hours in a 2x2 metre square; silent and disconnected, to raise awareness and funds for youth mental health. It’s uncomfortable, it’s a bit intense, but it’s nothing compared to how isolating it feels when you’re struggling in silence.

Every $200 raised helps fund a young adult (aged 18–30) through a one-day mental health maintenance course.

20Talk is a youth mental health charity committed to giving young people the knowledge and skills to manage their wellbeing every day, not just when things are tough.

I’m passionate about being loud about mental health and breaking down the silence that still surrounds these conversations. To me, this challenge is about closing the gap in mental health care between prevention and crisis.

I’d be so grateful for your support in helping me reach my fundraising goal and in backing 20Talk’s vision: to be the most relatable mental health charity in the 21st century, empowering youth through mental health education.