“If you’re feeling pressure to hide your sexuality, Headspace can help you through it,” says a new LGBTI-focused campaign from the National Youth Mental Health Foundation.

Shown below, the new graphic will be featured on posters and postcards used by the 40 headspace centres across Australia. It will also be seen in selected print and online media as well as ambient advertising in universities and pubs across the country.

Headspace’s CEO Chris Tanti says the concept, ‘Charlie versus the Big Secret’, depicts the internal conflict that a LGBTI young person might experience due to the fear of rejection and judgement.

“We want young people to feel comfortable to be who they are,” he says. “But the sad reality is that discrimination and homophobia are a big problem in our society and create issues for young people who are figuring out their sexuality.

“The pressure to fit in and be accepted often means holding onto a big secret and this may lead to mental health problems like anxiety and stress.

“We want young people to know that if they’re having issues with friends, family, work or school because of homophobia or transphobia, they don’t have to go through it alone.”

The concept was developed in consultation with LGBTI young people across Australia, Tanti adds.

“To get this campaign right we developed online surveys asking LGBTI young people about the issues they face and tested what concepts would resonate best with the audience.”

Charlie versus the Big Secret is the ninth concept to be developed as part of the headspace national awareness campaign that aims to help young people get support for issues affecting them. The other ads focus on issues like, depression, relationship break ups, anxiety, exam stress, bullying and drug use.

For more information or to access help visit headspace.org.au here.