RECENT ABS STUDY HIGHLIGHTS PREVALENCE OF MENTAL ILL-HEALTH
The Australian Bureau of Statistics’ recently released their national study of mental health and wellbeing indicating 44% of Australian adults – 8.6 million people – experienced a mental health condition at some point in their life. Of note:
- 15% of Australians reported experiencing high or very high levels of psychological distress – with females (19%) more likely to experience this than males (12%)
- one in five people (20%) aged 16-34 years experienced high or very high levels of psychological distress – more than twice the rate of those aged 65-85 years
- one in six Australians (17%) aged 16-85 years had experienced suicidal thoughts or behaviours in their life
- Anxiety was the most common group of 12-month mental disorders (16.8% or 3.3 million people)
The last ABS survey, undertaken in 2007, found similar numbers of Australian adults (45%) experienced a mental health condition in their lifetime, 20% in any given year. It seems there's been little improvement.
Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics, National Study of Mental Health & Wellbeing 22 July 2022