Four Million Australians are effected by complex mental illness.

20 per cent of adults are effected by mental illness

Indigenous Australians experience much higher rates of psychological distress than the general population, and lower access to mental health services.

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 episode 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.

- See more at: http://www.mindframe-media.info/for-media/reporting-mental-illness/facts-and-stats#sthash.rjlbWsEc.dpuf

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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 episode 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.

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 episode 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, 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 women 9 times more likely than men.

·        About 800 000 people commit suicide every year

·        Around 20% of the world's children and adolescents have mental disorders or problem

·        War and disasters have a large impact on mental health and psychosocial well-being

·        Mental disorders are important risk factors for other diseases, as well as unintentional and intentional injury

Mental illness in the adult Australian population¹

In 2007, the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) conducted the second National Survey of Mental Health and Well-being. The survey involved approximately 8,800 people aged over 16 years and living in private dwellings in all states and territories of Australia.

Accessing mental health services / support²

The mental health of young Australians³

Gender and Mental Illness⁴

Men and women experience similar rates of mental illness, but rates are highest for men and women living alone. Similarly, rates of mental disorder were higher among people who were separated or divorced (17% for men and 19% for women).

Myths about Mental Illness⁵

Mental illness is not a life sentence. Most people will recover fully, especially if they receive help early. Some people may require ongoing treatment to manage their illness. 

- See more at: http://www.mindframe-media.info/for-media/reporting-mental-illness/facts-and-stats#sthash.WETbEmsg.dpuf

Everyone’s got an opinion about mental health, but opinions based on myths add to stigma and make life harder for people affected by mental illness. So here are the facts you need to tell the truth from the myth.

Mental illness is real

Our knowledge of mental illness is incomplete, but we can say one thing for certain: mental illness isn’t laziness, attention-seeking, bad diet, mental, physical or spiritual weakness or a failure of character. Mental illness is illness, as real as cancer, diabetes and heart disease.

Anyone can develop a mental illness

There is no immunity to mental illness. Not everyone develops a mental illness during their lives, but anyone could.

At least 45% of us will experience a mental illness during our lives

And that’s just anxiety, mood disorders and substance addictions in people aged 16-85. Add in young people, schizophrenia, eating disorders, personality disorders and more and the figure is likely far higher.

At least 20% of adults are affected by mental illness every year

Anxiety disorders are the most common, followed by depression. A significant number of Australians are also affected by personality disorders, eating disorders, psychotic illnesses like schizophrenia, and more. Some people have more than one diagnosis, and far too many Australians go undiagnosed.

Four million Australians are affected by complex mental illness

At least 690,000 Australians live with complex mental illness (CMI), but an experience like CMI affects the lives of many people around the person with symptoms. For each person with CMI, it’s likely that five other people — families, friends, partners, colleagues and more — are affected. That makes four million Australians affected.

Some Australians are more likely to be affected than others

Indigenous Australians experience much higher rates of psychological distress than the general population, and lower access to mental health services.

LGBTIQA+ people experience very high rates of depression and psychological distress and are the most at-risk group in Australia for suicide.

Mental illness is not more common in rural and remote areas than in cities, but rates of suicide are much higher, services are harder to access and stigma can be higher.

One in seven children aged 4-17 have experienced a mental illness and over a quarter of Australians aged 16-24 are experiencing a mental illness at any given time. Many people who live with mental illness first experience symptoms during adolescence.

Related: Mental illness in younger people

Identifying with one or more of these groups doesn’t mean you will become ill.

Related: Is someone you know unwell?

The causes of mental illness are complex

There isn’t one simple, obvious thing, like a virus or bacteria, that causes mental illness, and that makes the causes hard to work out.

For some mental illnesses, like schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, it’s possible to inherit a predisposition — a greater likelihood that you’ll develop the disorder. For others there seems to be no genetic link at all.

But even then it doesn’t mean you’ll get sick. Your likelihood of developing a mental illness is influenced by a complex combination of genetic, neurological, developmental, environmental, socio-economic, cultural, life experience and other factors.

There’s no link between mental illness and creativity

Experiencing mental illness doesn’t make you more creative, and being creative doesn’t make you more likely to experience a mental illness. Likewise, getting treatment for mental illness doesn’t reduce your creativity, although the side-effects of some medicines can affect you.

 This section contains a brief overview of facts and statistics about mental illness in Australia as well as information that may be useful in countering common myths. Comprehensive facts and statistics are available from the Mindframe website at www.mindframemedia.info. Fact sheets and resources about mental illness and related issues, in a number of languages, can be found on the SANE Australia website at www.sane.org and Multicultural Mental Health Australia at www.mmha.org.au. Fact sheets and resources about anxiety and depression are provided on the beyondblue website at www.beyondblue.org.au Definition of Terms Often the terms ‘mental health’, ‘mental illness’ and ‘mental health problem’ are used interchangeably. For example, mental health workers have been quoted in the media referring to ‘the problem with mental health’ rather than ‘mental illness’. This may lead to confusion. Definitions for each of these terms, which refer to different parts of the spectrum between mental health and wellbeing and illness, can be found below. Mental health – is a positive concept. It is a state of wellbeing in which the individual realises his or her own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully and is able to make a contribution to his or her community.73 A mental illness or disorder – is a diagnosable illness that significantly interferes with an individual’s cognitive, emotional and/or social ability. There are different types of mental disorders, e.g. depression, anxiety, psychosis, substance use disorder and these different disorders may all occur with different degrees of severity.74 Mental health problems – occur often as a result of life stressors. Mental health problems also have a negative impact on a person’s cognitive, emotional and social abilities but may not meet the criteria for an illness. The distinction between mental health problems and mental disorders is not well defined and is made on the basis of severity and duration of symptoms.75 6 9 nnn Mental Illness Facts and Statistics An overview of Mental illness in Australia Unless otherwise stated the statistics in this section are from the 2007 National Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing.76 How many people are affected by mental illness in Australia? n Mental illness is common in Australia with one in five Australians experiencing a mental illness within a 12-month period. Almost half (45%) of Australians aged 16-85 years will experience a mental illness at some stage in their lives. n Prevalence of mental illness decreases with age. Prevalence (including substance use disorder) is greatest among 18-24 year olds (26%) while prevalence among people 75 years and over is 5.9%. n Mental disorders are the third leading cause of disability burden in Australia, accounting for an estimated 27% of the total years lost due to disability.77 Major depression accounts for more days lost to illness than almost any other physical or mental disorder.78 How common are specific disorders? n About 14% of Australians will be affected by anxiety disorders in a 12-month period.79 n About 4% of people will experience depression in a 12-month period, and 20% will be affected in their lifetime.80 n Postnatal depression affects between 10 to 20% of all new mothers to some degree.81 n 3% of Australians are affected by psychotic illness such as schizophrenia and bipolar mood disorder at some point in their life.82 About one in 100 Australians will experience schizophrenia.83 n Approximately 2% of Australians will experience some type of eating disorder at some stage in their life.84 Most of those affected (90%) are women.85 n Between 2 and 5% of the population are affected by Borderline Personality Disorder at some stage of their lives, with women three times more likely to be diagnosed with this disorder than men.86 7 0 A Note on Interpreting Facts and Statistics Statistics on mental illness are usually reported in terms of incidence or prevalence. Incidence – is the number of cases identified in a given period, usually a year. Incidence rate is usually expressed per 100 000 population. Prevalence – is the proportion or percentage of the population with the disease or disorder. Are there differences between men and women? n Women are more likely than men to report anxiety disorders (18% compared with 11.1%) and affective disorders (7.1% compared with 5.3%). n Men are more than twice as likely as women to have substance use disorders (7% compared with 3.3%), with alcohol disorders being three times more common than drug use disorders. n Men are affected by schizophrenia in slightly greater numbers, women tend to experience later onset, fewer periods of illness, and better recovery.87 Is mental illness common in young people? n The greatest numbers of people with a mental illness are in the 18-24 year age group. n 14% of Australian children and adolescents aged 12-17 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.88 n Onset of bipolar disorder and schizophrenia usually occurs in the mid to late teen years.89 n Depression is one of the most common mental health problems in young people.90 n Adolescents with mental health problems report a high rate of suicidal thoughts and other health-risk behaviour, including smoking and drug use.91 Are the patterns similar for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples? n The term "social and emotional wellbeing", rather than "mental health" is preferred by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples because of its more positive and holistic connotations.92 n 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.93 n 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.94 95 n The death rate associated with mental disorders among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander males is over three times the rate for other Australian males.96 However, the rate is the same for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander females as those in the general Australian population. n 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.97 7 1 Do rates vary among people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds? n 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.98 n People from cultural and linguistically diverse backgrounds do not access mental health services as often as the mainstream population.99 n The conceptualisation of mental illness differs from culture to culture, as does 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. n Loss, physical illness or disability, or the onset of disorders such as dementia, which often results 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.100 Are rates higher in rural and remote Australian communities? n There is little data about the prevalence and incidence of mental illness among people who live in rural and remote Australia. n 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. Myth Busting There are many myths and misconceptions about mental illness in the community. Some common myths are listed below, with some suggested responses about how to provide accurate information that challenges these myths and misconceptions. Myth: People who are mentally ill are violent Facts: n Many violent people have no history of mental disorder and most (90%) people with mental illness have no history of violence.101 n Only a small proportion of violence in society is attributable to mental illness (studies suggest up to 10%).102 103 n The use of drugs or alcohol has a stronger association with violence than does mental illness.104 n A small proportion of people with a psychotic illness may show violent behaviour, usually in the context of ineffective treatment, drug or alcohol use or in relation to distressing hallucinations or delusions.105 106 107 7 2 Myth: Mental illness is a life sentence Facts: n Most people will recover fully from a mental illness, especially if they receive help early. n Some people will only experience one episode of mental illness and recover fully while others may be well for long periods with occasional episodes. For a minority of people periods of acute illness will occur regularly and some will experience ongoing disability. n Although some people experience significant disability as a result of ongoing mental illness, many others live full and productive lives. n Most people with mental illness will be treated in the community.108 Myth: Mental illnesses are all the same Facts: n There are many different types of mental illnesses and many types of symptoms. n Not everyone with the same diagnosis will experience the same symptoms. n Simply knowing a person has a mental illness will not tell you how well or ill they are, what symptoms they are experiencing, or whether they may recover or manage the illness effectively. Myth: Some cultural groups are more likely than others to experience mental illness Facts: n People from any background can develop mental health problems or a mental illness. n However, many people from culturally and linguistically diverse and refugee backgrounds have experienced torture, trauma and enormous loss before coming to Australia, which can cause significant psychological distress and vulnerability to mental illness.109 n Cultural background also affects how people experience mental illness and how they understand and interpret the symptoms of mental illness. Myth: People with mental illness can not do well in their job or successfully raise a family Facts: n Mental illness says nothing about a person’s capabilities or future. Many people living with mental illness work and parent effectively. n While some people may require support from their workplace when unwell, many will not require any additional support. n However, the stigma associated with mental illness can lead to discrimination in the workplace and can lead many people to not disclose their illness. n While support may be required in some cases, this does not mean that people with a mental illness cannot fulfil their parenting role. 7 \

The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) develops, maintains and reports on national mental health care data, including 4 mental health National Minimum Datasets, to provide a picture of mental health-related service provision in Australia.Working collaboratively with Australian and state and territory government departments, the AIHW aims to provide timely and relevant information on mental health services in Australia, their usage and the resources required to run them.As well as producing Mental health services in Australia and Mental health services–in brief, the AIHW is also provides data analytical support to the National Mental Health Commission and participates in various national mental health committees.