Australia is facing a critical moment in its mental health crisis, with alarming evidence that young people are bearing the brunt of a failing system. 6 in 10 young Australians living with a mental health problem are delaying seeking help due to cost, a new Black Dog Institute poll finds.
Mental health now contributes to 15% of the nation's health burden. Yet despite this urgent need, the new spending announced in this year's budget marks the lowest allocation since 2018.
Black Dog Institute's poll reveals a stark snapshot of the barriers Australians face in accessing mental health care:
- Among adults who sought help, only 23% reported receiving timely and appropriate care, while just 37% felt they received what they needed to improve their mental health.
- Australians top reason for delaying or not seeking help for their mental health? The financial cost.
- Notably, young adults aged 18-24 were twice as likely to struggle with the cost of accessing help (60%) compared to older adults aged 65-74 (23%).
"We are now passing on worse mental health outcomes to the next generation," says Professor Samuel Harvey, Executive Director and Chief Scientist of Black Dog Institute. "We cannot accept a situation where the mental health system people turn to is too expensive, too overstretched, or simply unable to provide the care they need. If people are not getting the help they need this has to be considered a system failure."
The report also includes a new analysis of the National Study of Mental Health and Wellbeing Survey data that suggests for every person receiving treatment, at least one person is going without.
Prof Harvey says the challenge now lies in whether we are prepared to make the necessary changes to secure increased funding for mental health. "Australia should consider a levy on the profits of social media companies and direct it into mental health services and research. That's a more productive policy discussion than endless debates on age limits."
