This paper provides an overview of data about the national response of the health and welfare system to the mental health care needs of Australians.

Introduction

Mental health services in Australia is an interactive website that provides national data about how the health and welfare system responds to the needs of Australians affected by mental illness. The website is updated regularly as new data become available.

This companion document, Mental health services—in brief 2013, provides an overview of key findings from Mental health services in Australia presented online each year. The most recent data from a number of data sources inform this report. As such, the reference year reported in this companion document may vary between data sources.

What do we mean by mental illness?

Mental illness refers to a clinically diagnosable disorder that significantly interferes with an individual’s cognitive, emotional or social abilities. The term comprises a spectrum of disorders that vary in severity. Mental illness can have damaging effects on the individuals and families concerned, and its influence is far-reaching for society as a whole. Social problems commonly associated with mental illness include poverty, unemployment or reduced productivity and homelessness. Those with mental illness often experience problems such as isolation, discrimination and stigma.

The terms mental illness and mental disorder are used interchangeably throughout this document.

How many people receive mental health-related services?

About 1.9 million Australians (9% of the population) received public or private mental health services in 2010–11. There were an estimated 15 million mental health-related general practitioner (GP) encounters, or visits, in 2011–12.

How many people are affected?

An estimated 7.3 million Australians aged between 16 and 85 (45%) will experience a common mental health-related disorder over their lifetime, according to the 2007 National Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing.

Each year, 1 in 5 Australians in this age range, or 3 million Australians, are estimated to experience symptoms of a mental disorder.

The most common mental illnesses are affective (mood) disorders such as depression, anxiety disorders and substance use disorders.

Mental illness also includes ‘low prevalence’ conditions. This group includes psychotic illnesses and a range of other conditions such as eating disorders and severe personality disorder.

Psychotic illnesses are characterised by fundamental distortions of thinking, perception and emotional response. An estimated 64,000 people in Australia have a psychotic illness and are in contact with public specialised mental health services each year. Schizophrenia is the most common psychotic illness.

How much money is spent on mental health-related services?

Almost $6.9 billion, or $309 per Australian, was spent on mental health-related services in Australia during 2010–11.