Young people in Melbourne's north and western suburbs will have first access to a new mental health online platform as demand for services surges amid COVID-19.

Young people in Melbourne's most COVID-affected areas will have more access to mental health services as they weather a perfect storm during the pandemic.

The crisis has shown they are the most at risk of mental health challenges.

Youth mental health organisation Orygen has created a new online platform for younger people experiencing mental health challenges during coronavirus, with those living in public housing in the north and western suburbs to have first access.

Orygen executive director Professor Patrick McGorry said young people were the most vulnerable group during the crisis as they faced uncertainty about their futures.

"It's just a perfect storm of social isolation, stress, fear and anxiety, for those young people.," he said.

"We know in the context of the pandemic they're the highest-risk group because their whole futures have been put under a cloud, their vocational prospects, all of those things. It's really a perfect storm for them."

Prof McGorry said he expected a 30 per cent increase in the need for mental health care over the coming months because of the second wave.

Australia has lost 108 lives to the virus so far and Prof McGorry estimates that during the same period about 1000 people died from suicide across the country.

"Ten times as many people have died from suicide than from COVID in the last four months, so mental health has to be taken a lot more seriously as a public health issue," he said.

Prof McGorry said one silver lining to be taken from the crisis was that it's put the reform challenge of modernising mental health care right at the front of health.

Orygen's platform, called MOST - Moderated Online Social Therapy - will help youths access tailored online face-to-face therapy and peer support in real time.

Mental health minister Martin Foley said the program would be a huge help to many.

"It's not an app, it's a real-world provision of services that meet the needs of mildly or acutely-unwell young people to get the support they need in a safe and indeed sometimes quicker way."