Mateo Goytizolo, 23, is passionate about improving the situation after friends tragically took their own lives in recent times and is co-organising YouthFest, a free music festival and discussion forum on July 10 at Coronation Park.

Mateo is part of a team from the Kiama and District Stronger Community group who are putting on the event which will see a raft of people share their experiences from midday (sports personalities, performers and parents of those who have passed), followed by an evening of cool tunes from local artists from 4pm (like Pacific Avenue, Jocean Music, Tiarnie and more).

He said the KDSC did a community survey with one of the findings being residents wanted more events that brought the community together, and he hoped the festival would show people they "weren't alone" in how they were feeling.

He believed morale was low for young people in the town and many were struggling with mental health, while some could be feeling isolated with lack of services.

"Especially when it happens so often, and then you want to reach out for help but the nearest Headspace [youth mental health centre] is in Wollongong or Nowra but even then there's a big waitlist," he said.

In 2020, the number of young people seeking help from SENTRAL Youth Services in Kiama was up 70 per cent, with the service seeing 20 to 30 kids per day. Over the same period a spate of youth suicides in Kiama-Gerringong left the community reeling.

Nick Guggisberg, manager of community and cultural development at Kiama Council, previously told the Mercury while there was "no simple answer" to why people took their own life, it was always worth reaching out if you're worried about someone.

Mateo's younger brother Emilio Goytizolo, 20, a former captain of Kiama High School is also passionate about the cause and wants to see more happening in schools.

Having attended school here and in South America he believes young Australians don't have a great understanding of ethics and morality, which in turn "loses the meaning they would otherwise have in life".

"Young people need to learn how to wrestle with existential questions," he said. "People are too obsessed with self and the Internet to notice what is happening around them."

Emilio said social media was driving people to narcissism and have "blinders on" to other peoples - and possibly their own - feelings.

"There's sadly a lack of reflection in young people," he said. "You ask them about morality and ethics and they don't even know what those words mean."

Emilio took part in the Changemakers program, run by Sonder Youth, which empowers young people to enact a "change project" and tackle an issue that matters to them. The program is something he feels could benefit the region to give young people meaning and purpose.

"It's helped me to realise it is possible to make a change, whether in your own personal life or out in the greater community," Emilio said. "And that's important for young people to realise that if you're in a bad situation you can change it."

Anthropologist and founder of not-for-profit Habitus, Monty Badami, is also advocating for various programs to be led in schools and/or community settings.

Dr Badami is partnering with Macquarie University for qualitative research to examining the problem - a "multi-disciplinary study that goes beyond surveys and standardised approaches to suicide prevention" through the Lifehacks and Changemakers programs.

"In a situation like this, you have to have a lot of people constantly talking about things to try different things as there is no simple solution," he said.

"We don't have the answer so we have to keep trying ... but right now young people are telling us something important and we need to listen."

He said these programs would equip young people to understand their own problems and those of their peers, train young leaders to break the stigma of mental health, give them a purpose and hopefully unravel why mental health has become a critical problem.

Dr Badami said these programs were also designed to promote connection as "connection is the thing that keeps us together".

Lachie Patton, 17, is currently on the Student Representative Council of Kiama High School and would love to see these programs available for young people and "help the community open up and talk to each other".

"I had a pretty close mate who did decide to end his own life, so since then it's been a bit of a hard topic, but it affects a lot more people worse than it affects me," he said.

"It's a sad thing, especially within teenage boys - they don't open up to their friends a lot - so it's very hard to dance around a topic and try and directly talk to them about it.

"The most we can do is try and spread awareness to the students themselves and try and encourage teachers and leaders in the school to start taking action ... teach the kids to help their mates out."

If you or someone you know needs support: call Lifeline on 13 11 14. They also have an online crisis chat service available 7pm to midnight AEST.

The Festival will be held at two venues and focus on two aspects of improved mental health:

Panel Members

MC - Glenn Haworth, Youth Advocate, Haworth's Guitars & Resolving Business Coaching.

Live Music - Joe Mungovan

Other Features:

. Live Art by local artist, Olivia Dean

. Mobile SmashLab, Rage Room