Mental Health Issues in Australia - Prevalence, Impact and Common Disorders

This presentation provides an overview of the prevalence, impact and common disorders of mental health issues in Australia. It covers statistics on the prevalence of mental disorders in different age groups, the impact of mental disorders on disability, homelessness and physical health, and the most common mental disorders in Australia.

Mental Health Issues in Australia
Presented by:

Prevalence of Mental Issues In
Australia
 Several studies have been done on mental
health in Australia (Harvey et al., 2017; Shen et al.,
2018).
 Research shows Australia is at the apex of an
outbreak of mental illness (Harvey et al., 2017).
 The use of antidepressants in Australia has
doubled (Olfson& Marcus, 2009).
 Statistics show that mental health problems are
on the rise in Australia.

Prevalence of Mental Issues In
Australia…
 Approximately 4 million people had experienced
mental disorders in 2015
 1 in 5 (20%) (16-85yrs) persons had
experienced prevalent mental disorders
– Equivalent to 3.8 million people in est.2016
population.
 1 in 7 (13.9%) children and teenagers (4-17yrs)
had mental health disorders
– Equivalent to 886,000 in est.2016 population
(AIHW, 2018)

Common Mental Disorders: Adult
Population (16-85 yrs)
 Anxiety Disorders: Social Phobia
– Affected 14.4% of all aged16-85
– Women most affected (18%) than men (11%)
– Women aged 16-54 most affected (21%) compared to
women(6.3%) of 65-85yrs
 Affective Disorders: Depression
– Affected 6.2% of all aged 16-85
– Women most affected (7.1%) than men (3.3%)
– Women aged 16-44 (7.6%) was higher compared to
women (3.3%) aged 55-85 (AIHW, 2018)

Common Mental Disorders: Adult
Population (16-85 yrs)…
 Substance use Disorders: Alcohol
Dependence
– Affected 5.1% of all aged 16-85
– Prevalent in men than women
– Most common in men (13%) of 16-24 yrs
(AIHW, 2018)

Common Mental Disorders:
Children and Adolescents (4-17
yrs.)…
 Depressive Disorder
– Third most prevalent (2.8%) among all children and
adolescents
– Represents 118,000 based on 2016 population est.
 Conduct Disorders
– Fourth most prevalent (2.1%)
– Represents 89,000 based on 2016 population est.
N/B. 1/3 or 4.2% of all the 4-17 yr olds diagnosed with
mental disorder had over 2 cases of mental disorders
within the last 12 months (AIHW, 2018)

Prevalence of Mental Disorders by
Age Group
(The Department of Health, 2009)

Impact of Mental Issues
 Severity
– Approx. 3% of Australian adults have severe mental diseases
– Translates to 730,000 people
– Approx. 50% have psychotic disorders (e.g. schizophrenia or
bipolar affective disorder)
 Moderate Disorders
– 6% of the total population
– Represents 1.5 million based on 2016 population est.
(AIHW, 2018)
 Mild Disorders
– 12% of the total population
– Represents 2.9 million

Impact of Mental Issues: Onset Age for
Prevalent Mental Illnesses
 Most of mental diseases
undergone in adulthood
began in childhood
– 2/3 of those with affective
or anxiety disorders had
the first experience at
age 21
(The Department of Health,
2009)

Impact of Mental Issues: Disability
 Mental disorders impact one’s involvement in
occupational, family, social and learning
activities
 Triggered by the early onset of mental illnesses
 Mental disorders leading cause of disability in
Australia (24%)
 Significantly affects the productivity of adults
during their working years
(The Department of Health, 2009)

Impact of Mental Issues:
Homelessness
 75% of homeless Australian adults have
mental disorders
– 1/3 of them have severe disorders
– Translating to 29,000 people
 40% of all prisoners are diagnosed with
mental sickness
– 20% of them are cases of severe disorders
(The Department of Health, 2009)

Impact of Mental Issues: Physical
Health
 Circulatory/heart sickness- 27% of study
participants
 Diabetes – 21%
 Epilepsy- 7%
 Severe Migraines – 25%
(AIHW, 2018)

Conclusion
 Mental disorders are prevalent in Australia
 Mental Disorders affect one’s individual,
economic, and social levels.
 Common mental disorders:
– Anxiety
– Substance abuse
– Affective
 Most affected age bracket: 16-24 years

References
Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW). (2018). Mental health services in
Australia. Retrieved from https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/mental-health-
services/mental-health-services-in-australia/report-contents/summary/prevalence-
and-policies#references
Harvey, S. B., Deady, M., Wang, M. J., Mykletun, A., Butterworth, P., Christensen, H., &
Mitchell, P. B. (2017). Is the prevalence of mental illness increasing in Australia?
Evidence from national health surveys and administrative data, 2001–2014. Med J
Aust, 206(11), 490-3. Retrieved from
https://www.mja.com.au/system/files/issues/206_11/10.5694mja16.00295.pdf
Olfson, M., & Marcus, S. C. (2009). National patterns in antidepressant medication
treatment. Archives of general psychiatry, 66(8), 848-856. Retrieved from
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapsychiatry/fullarticle/483159
Shen, Y. T., Radford, K., Daylight, G., Cumming, R., Broe, T. G., & Draper, B. (2018).
Depression, suicidal behaviour, and mental disorders in older Aboriginal Australians.
International journal of environmental research and public health, 15(3), 447.
Retrieved from https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/15/3/447/pdf
The Australian Government Department of Health. (2009). The Magnitude of the Problem.
Retrieved from
http://www.health.gov.au/internet/publications/publishing.nsf/Content/mental-
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