Mothering young is a unique identity that is becoming increasingly rare in Australia. Young mothers’ (under 24 years) understanding of mental health is crucial as they navigate both adolescence and matrescence simultaneously. Previous research tells us that while they are twice as likely to experience depression and three times as likely to experience anxiety than their non-mothering peers and older mothers, the experience of mothering young can also be transformative and empowering for them. We also know from previous research that young mothers are not always accessing mental health services. Furthermore, young mothers say that these services are not always mentioned when receiving perinatal support or they perceive that they are designed for older mothers. This research shares how inspiring young mothers have developed a free online mental health literacy resource for their peers in collaboration with perinatal mental health professional and academics. It also shares the voices of young mothers - what they had to say in qualitative semi-structured interviews about their mental health needs, what support looks like for them, and what barriers they currently face when accessing mental health resources. This has implications for clinical practice in terms of how mental health clinicians can best contribute to young mothers’ wellbeing by helping create a network of care around them informed by their voices.

Three Key Learnings:
1. The unique identity of mothering under 25 years - implications for mental health literacy.
2. Information shared about a free online mental health literacy resource created by young mothers for young mothers.
3. What young mothers say family and community organisations can be offering to strengthen their network of care.