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.
Did you know?
Figures updated September 2026.
About two in five Australians aged 16 to 85 (42.9%, or 8.5 million people) have experienced a mental disorder at some point in their life, and one in five (21.5%, or 4.3 million people) had one in the past 12 months, according to the ABS National Study of Mental Health and Wellbeing 2020 to 2022.
Anxiety disorders are the most common, affecting 17.2% of Australians aged 16 to 85 (3.4 million people) in the past 12 months.
In 2024, 3,307 Australians died by suicide (ABS Causes of Death, 2024).
About 1.1 million Australians are estimated to be living with an eating disorder (Eating Disorders Victoria, citing Deloitte Access Economics, 2024).
Use of mental health services
In the same ABS study, 17.4% of Australians aged 16 to 85 (3.4 million people) saw a health professional for their mental health in the previous 12 months:
- 12.4% saw a GP for their mental health
- 7.8% saw a psychologist
Vulnerable groups
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/ |
Medicare Mental Health National Phone Service 1800 595 212 | www.medicarementalhealth.gov.au
Medicare Mental Health Centres | www.medicarementalhealth.gov.au/medicare-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/ |
Note: This information is informative only and is not to be used for diagnosis or substitution of appropriate assessment and/or treatment by your GP or another qualified health professional. We take care to keep our information accurate and up to date, but it may contain errors or omissions. To the extent the law allows, we’re not responsible for loss caused by relying on it, as explained in our Website Disclaimer.
