Mental Health Statistics In Australia

This article was edited and approved for accuracy By Adam Szmerling on September 6, 2022

According to the WHO, mental health is defined as a “state of well-being in which every individual realises his or her own potential, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to contribute to his/her community”.

Mental health is a critical component of overall health and wellbeing, and it cannot be separated from other aspects of health. Mental health issues can have a flow-on effect, impacting the physical health and social relationships and vice-versa. If left untreated, mental health challenges can escalate and have consequences.

Bayside Mental Health Statistics in Australia

Did You Know
1 in 2 Australian adults will face mental ill-health at some point in their lives¹

3,000 Australians end their lives each year¹

Up to $220 billion is the estimated cost of suicide to our economy¹

Eating disorders affect about 1 million Australians at any given time².

One in seven Australians will experience depression in their lifetime³.

25% of Australians will experience an anxiety condition in their lifetime³.

Anxiety was the most common group of 12-month mental disorders⁴ (16.8% or 3.3 million people).

Nearly 4.2 Million Australians (21.4% or one in five) had a 12-month mental disorder⁴

Depression is the number one cause of non-fatal disability in Australia⁵ (23%).

Use of mental health services⁶:
3.4 million Australians aged 16-85 years (17%) saw a mental health professional in 2020-21.

13% of people saw a GP for their mental health
8% saw a psychologist.

612,000 Australians also accessed mental health services (in addition to the above) via phone or digital technologies (various crisis support services).

Vulnerable groups⁷

Some groups of people experience higher rates of mental illness and psychological distress than others.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people
LGBTIQA+ Australians
Australians with disability

Mental Health Support services

If you are seeking treatment for a mental health problem, it is important to talk to your doctor or mental health professional about what options are available and right for you. In Australia there are several support services available to assist people experiencing mental health problems.

While Bayside Psychotherapy is a private billing clinic and do not provide crisis assessment and support, we are also aware that for some individuals, cost is a barrier to accessing the mental health treatment they require.

We hope the information below can be of assistance in obtaining more information about particular mental health problems, and accessing crisis counselling and low fee services. We do not accept responsibility for the services provided by these sites. All the phone numbers provided below were checked for accuracy on their associated websites on 5 September 2022.

Lifeline Crisis Support Line: 13 11 14 | https://www.lifeline.org.au/ |

Head to Health National Phone Service 1800 595 212| www.headtohealth.gov.au

Head to Health Adult Mental Health Centres | www.headtohealth.gov.au/supporting-yourself/adult-mental-health-centres

Suicide Call Back Service: 1300 659 467 |https://www.suicidecallbackservice.org.au |

Suicide helpline provides 24/7 phone support: 1300 651 251 | https://suicideline.org.au |

Beyond Blue: 1300 224 636 | https://www.beyondblue.org.au |

MensLine Australia: 1300 789 978 | https://mensline.org.au |

Kids Helpline: 1800 551 800 | https://kidshelpline.com.au |

QLife (LGBTIQ+): 1800 184 527 | https://qlife.org.au |

Eating Disorders Victoria |1300 550 236 | https://www.eatingdisorders.org.au |

Swinburne University |03 9214 8653 | https://www.swinburne.edu.au/research/centres-groups-clinics/swinburne-psychology-clinic/ |

Sources:

1. https://www.health.gov.au/health-topics/mental-health-and-suicide-prevention

2. https://www.eatingdisorders.org.au/eating-disorders-a-z/eating-disorder-statistics-and-key-research/

3. https://www.beyondblue.org.au/media/statistics

4. https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/health/mental-health/national-study-mental-health-and-wellbeing/latest-release

5. https://www.blackdoginstitute.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/1-facts_figures.pdf

6. https://www.abs.gov.au/articles/first-insights-national-study-mental-health-and-wellbeing-2020-21

Bayside Psychotherapy was founded by Adam Szmerling in Melbourne, offering counselling and psychotherapy for individuals and couples. Adam's experience with psychotherapy inspired him to help others improve their self-understanding, mental health and wellbeing.

Authors

Adam Szmerling

Born and bred in Melbourne, I’m an Accredited Mental Health Social Worker (AASW) and clinical psychotherapist (PACFA). I work with individuals and couples, adult clients who want to speak and engage in psychotherapy.
Natalie Szmerling

Natalie is a clinical psychologist with extensive experience in the health sector. She completed her Masters (Clinical Psychology) training at Swinburne University and wrote her masters thesis on multidimensional self-esteem in different problematic eating patterns.