Brief Facts/Statistics

• Almost 20% of Australians or 1 in 5 people will experience a mental illness in any 12-month period. 
• Mental illnesses are the third leading cause of disability burden in Australia, accounting for an estimated 27% of the total years lost due to disability. 
• About 4% of people will experience a major depressive illness in a 12-month period, with 5% of women and 3% of men affected. 
• Approximately 14 % of Australians will be affected by an anxiety disorder in any 12-month period. 
• About 3% of Australians are affected by psychotic illness such as schizophrenia and bipolar mood disorder where there is a loss of contact with reality during episodes of illness.
• Approximately 2% of Australians will experience some type of eating disorder in their life, with 90% of people affected being women. 
• About 5% of Australians will experience substance abuse disorders in any 12-month period, with men more than twice as likely as women to have substance abuse disorders. 
• Prevalence of mental illness decreases with age, with prevalence greatest among 18-24 year olds. 
• Women are more likely than men to report anxiety disorders (18% compared with 11%) and mood disorders (7.1% compared with 5.3%). 
• A national survey showed that 35% of people with a mental disorder had used a health service and 29% consulted a GP in the 12 months before the survey.
• Women are more likely than men to use services for mental health problems.
• Limited research suggests that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people experience mental disorders at least as often as other Australians. 
• In the Australian population, the prevalence of mental or behavioural problems among people born overseas is similar to those born in Australia. 
• Many violent people have no history of mental disorder and most people with mental illness (90%) have no history of violence.