An expectant mother will spend 100 hours living inside a cube in the centre of Brisbane’s CBD.

Louise Bellchambers entered the cube this afternoon in a bid to raise awareness of youth mental health issues.

Rebekah Ison reports.

[flashvideo file=https://www.qutnews.com/uploads/tv-2010-2/20101004-Mental-Health-Protest.flv /]

TRANSCRIPT

This cube has been a long time in the making.

Louise Bellchambers came up with the idea six months ago to live inside it for one hundred hours to raise funds for the mental health organisation Clear Thinking.

Since then things have changed.

Louise Bellchambers: “I found out I that I was pregnant so I’m taking my 20 week old foetus with me.”

She may be all smiles but Louise hopes to raise awareness about a very serious issue.

Louise Bellchambers: “We’re particularly interested in getting community awareness and government funding behind our youth mental health centre

Clear Thinking hopes to build a centre that will dramatically shorten the diagnosis of serious mental illnesses and provide services specifically targeted towards young people.

Health Professionals have called for the improvement of youth mental health services.

Prof Stan Catts, University of Queensland: “The unmet needs of young people expresses itself in ten percent of all young people making a serious attempt on their life.”

Seventy per cent of all mental disorders come on before the age of 24 yet it’s estimated only three per cent of young people affected receive adequate treatment.

Louise will exit the cube at 5pm on Friday but until then what will she do if nature calls?

Louise Bellchambers: “There’s a bathroom at the back of the cube so ahhh all my necessary needs are taken care of.”

Rebekah Ison, QUT News.