Southern Health's Stepping Stones at Monash Medical Centre is an adolescent psychiatric inpatient unit that treats up to 300 clients each year.

Unit manager Francis McNamara said there was still significant stigma attached to mental health problems.

He backed headspace, a national youth mental health foundation, and its campaign urging young people to seek help and not to be afraid of negative opinions.

Studies have highlighted the significance of poor mental health among young people.

National hospitalisation rates for intentional self-harm have increased by 27per cent since 1998-99 and suicide accounts for nearly 20per cent of all deaths among young men.

A quarter of teenagers risk short-term harm to their health from alcohol and one in six have recently used an illicit drug.

Frankston's Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service manager, Lidor Arbel-Itzhari, said early detection was vital but often young people didn't immediately seek help because of issues like cultural bias, fear and family problems.

"Just because the young person seeking help may not have gelled with somebody, it's important that they don't stop asking for assistance."

He said "coming in" doesn't automatically mean patients are "locked up in a hospital".

"What you see on television about psychiatric inpatient units is very different to reality.

"There is an emphasis on physical wellbeing and the program takes a lot of effort to not feel like you're in a hospital."

Southern Health offers child and adolescent mental health services in Monash, Greater Dandenong, Casey, Cardinia, Frankston and Kingston. Details: 1300369012 or www.southernhealth.org.au/mhp/cam hs.htm