Maintaining mental health during drought (12/22)

Published on:

November 16, 2022

In any given year, one in five Australians will experience symptoms of mental illness and about 60% won’t seek help.

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Mental illness is prevalent throughout Australia, with over one in five Australians aged between 16 - 85 years (43.7 per cent or 8.6 million people) having experienced a mental illness at some point in their life. In any given year, one in five Australians will experience symptoms of mental illness and about 60% won’t seek help. Generally, over 75% of mental health problems tend to occur before the age of 2. Unfortunately, as a result, suicide is the leading cause of death in males aged 18 - 24, which surpasses the number of male deaths related to car accidents. Overall, suicide kills more Australians than skin cancer.

Mental illness is a clinically diagnosable disorder which interferes with someone's cognitive, emotional or social abilities. Mental health encompasses a range of illnesses including anxiety, depression and substance use disorder. Mental health is impacted by several socioeconomic factors which include access to services, living conditions and employment status. It is important to acknowledge mental health not only impacts

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