One in four Australian aged 16 to 24 have mental disorder in 2009, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).

Anxiety-type disorder affects more women while substance use disorder affects more young males, the ABS research entitled Mental Health of Young People bared on Monday says. Twenty-two percent of young women and eight percent of young males suffer anxiety disorder. About 16 percent of young men and 10 percent young women had substance use disorder, including alcohol abuse.

About 15 percent of the population suffer from anxiety making it the most common disorder among young Australians. Substance use ranks second affecting 13 percent of the population.

The statistic highlights the urgent need for more mental health services for young people, according to Chris Tanti, chief executive of mental health organisation Headspace. He said mental disorder is often misunderstood as part of adolescence by young people and their parents when their cases actually need professional attention.

Last month, the Coalition announced a $225 million allocation to 60 new Headspace services for young people. The amount is part of the government's $1.5 billion mental health funding.