It can change lives, both for the better and negatively (which is more often than not the way it goes).

Cases of mental health are on the increase, this is a fact that is backed up by countless medical journals and studies.

Alarmingly, stress and anxiety has rated the number one issue facing young people in Australia today.

It's not an isolated problem, in all communities within and outside Northern Tasmania, the state and Australia, we are becoming more attuned to identifying and diagnosing people with mental health issues.

Another thing that is well understood, is that the facilities available for Northern Tasmanians, particularly young people, are under pressure.

While the under-construction Ward 4K development at the Launceston General Hospital will provide some much needed relief, and is an important investment by the Tasmanian Government, a dedicated mental health hub in Launceston would take it that one step further.

Mental health advocates are calling on secure funding to establish the mental health hub in the North, as part of a federal government commitment ahead of the election.

A mental health hub would provide a much-needed service to take pressure of the public health system and provide a new stream to funnel patients to allow them to get the ongoing support they need.

The thing with mental health is, it can come back, like any illness, but it often needs ongoing treatment.

Or, patients may need to flit in and out of the system - if a dedicated and purpose-built facility were available in the North it would free up much-needed beds at the LGH.

A hub would also house specialists and medical professionals that were specifically trained to deal with and treat mental health patients, which is a win in our eyes.

As central to most places in Tasmania, the North is the logical place to establish the mental health hub.