A surge of young Australians in New South Wales sought out mental health services following the first wave of COVID-19 restrictions in 2020 compared to the prior years. A joint study between the University of New South Wales and the Sydney Children’s Hospitals Network observed the number of children’s admission to hospital services and emergency departments between January 2020 and February 2021. There was a noticeable drop in overall hospital admissions for chronic conditions and acute infections and injuries during lockdowns, but it soon returned to pre-pandemic levels by June. However, the use of children’s mental health-related services remained the same during lockdowns, then rose sharply above pre-pandemic levels once the lockdowns ended. Researchers found that the majority of young Australians aged 12 to 17 who sought mental health services were from socio-economically advanced backgrounds. “The increase in mental health-related service use should be understood in the context of a steady …