Mental Illness Facts

In Australia, around one in five people will experience a mental illness at some stage of their life, including alcohol or other substance abuse disorders. In extreme cases, mental illness can be debilitating, affecting all areas of a person’s life from employment, to relationships, to everyday functioning.

For comprehensive statistical information on mental illness in Australia, click here.

For comprehensive information on specific mental disorders, click on the Specific Mental Disorders menu item to the left.

A Brief Overview of Mental Illness in Australia

How many people are affected by mental illness in Australia?

Mental illness is common in Australia with one in five Australians experiencing a mental illness at some stage in their lives, and many experiencing more than one mental illness at one time.

Are there differences between men and women?

Women are more likely than men to report anxiety and affective disorders.
Men are more than twice as likely as women to have substance use disorders, with alcohol disorders being three times more common than drug use disorders.
Men are affected by schizophrenia in slightly greater numbers; women tend to experience later onset, fewer periods of illness, and better recovery.
Obsessive-compulsive disorder is equally common in males and females.
Up to 90% of eating disorders occur in women.
Gender differences in different types of mental illness are influenced by cultural backgrounds.

Is mental illness common in young people?

The greatest numbers of people with a mental illness are in the 18-24 year age group.
14% of Australian children and adolescents aged 4-17 years have mental health problems. This rate of mental health problems is found in all age and gender groups, although boys are slightly more likely to experience mental health problems than girls.
Onset of bipolar disorder and schizophrenia usually occurs in the mid to late teen years.
Depression is one of the most common mental health problems in young people.
Adolescents with mental health problems report a high rate of suicidal thoughts and other health-risk behaviour, including smoking and drug use.

Are the patterns similar for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples?

At present, there is no definitive national data about the incidence or prevalence of mental disorders in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians. However, limited available research supports the conclusion that serious mental disorders occur in these populations, and such disorders are at least as common as in the mainstream population.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people receive proportionately reduced access to specialised care for mental disorders and behavioural disorders, yet their involuntary hospitalisation rate is significantly increased compared to the wider community.
The death rate associated with mental disorders among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander males is over three times the rate for other Australian males.However, the rate is the same for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander females as those in the general Australian population.
An Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander person may also see particular feelings, beliefs or hallucinations, including hearing voices, as a spiritual or personal issue rather than mental illness.

Mental Illness and Culture

In the Australian population, the prevalence of mental or behavioural problems among people born overseas is similar to those born in Australia. Similarly, the rates among people who speak a language other than English at home are about the same as for those who speak English at home.

People from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds do not access mental health services as often as the mainstream populations.

The conceptualisation of mental illness differs from culture to culture, as the level of stigma attached to mental disorder and mental health problems. There is some evidence that people with mental illness may be more stigmatised and marginalised in some cultural groups.

Loss, physical illness or disability, or the onset of disorders such as dementia, which often result in a loss of competency in English, can increase the risk of depressive disorders and suicide in older people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.

Mental Illness in Rural and Remote Communities

There is little data about the prevalence and incidence of mental illness among people who live in rural and remote Australia. The 1997 National Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing found no differences in the overall rates for affective disorders, anxiety disorders and substance use disorders between urban and rural areas but did note some gender differences. For males, the rate of disorder was slightly higher for those living in a capital city, while for females it was higher for those living in rural or remote areas.

Mental Illness Myths and Misconceptions

There are many myths and misconceptions about mental illness in the community. Some common myths are listed below.

Myth: people who are mentally ill are violent

Most violent people have no history of mental disorder.
Most people with mental illness have no history of violent behaviour.
The use of drugs or alcohol has a stronger association with violence than does mental illness.
People living with a mental illness are more likely to be victims of violence, especially self-harm.
When it does occur, violent behaviour usually happens in the context of distressing hallucinations or treatment that has not been effective.

Myth: mental illness is a life sentence

Most people will recover fully from mental illness, especially if they receive help early.
Some people will only experience one episode of mental illness and recover fully, others may be well for long periods with occasional episodes, and a minority of people will experience ongoing disability.
Most people with mental illness will be treated in the community.

Myth: mental illnesses are all the same

There are many types of mental illnesses and many types of symptoms. Not everyone with the same diagnosis will experience the same symptoms.
A mental illness may also have physical as well psychological features, such as insomnia, weight gain or loss, increase or loss of energy, chest pain and nausea.

Myth: some cultural groups are more likely than others to experience mental illness

People from any background can develop mental illness.
Cultural background affects how people experience mental illness and how they understand and interpret the symptoms of mental illness.
Many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people carry a significant burden of grief and loss from an early age, due in part to the high rates of mortality, illness, incarceration, and deaths in custody.
Pre-migration experiences and the process of resettlement in a foreign land can impact on the mental health of people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds and their children.