It found that, among Australians aged 16–85, 15% experienced high or very high levels of psychological distress. Females aged 16–34 were more likely to experience psychological distress than males of this age group (26% compared to 14%) (ABS 2022a). Refer to the data visualisation for more detail.
Young and Midlife Adults
The average age of onset for major depressive disorder is between 35 and 40 years of age. Onset in early adulthood may be linked with more depressive episodes, a longer duration of illness, and therefore a more difficult clinical course.
Overall, those aged 15–24 years had the highest proportion of mental or behavioural conditions (28%) while those aged 0–14 years had the lowest (13%).
Message: One in 16 Australians is currently experiencing depression. Breakdown: 6.2% of Australians aged 16 to 85 have experienced an affective disorder in the last 12 months.
50% of mental health problems are established by age 14 and 75% by age 24. 10% of children and young people (aged 5-16 years) have a clinically diagnosable mental problem3, yet 70% of children and adolescents who experience mental health problems have not had appropriate interventions at a sufficiently early age.
The age group with the highest percentage of major depressive episodes was young adults aged 18-25. Around 17% of this age group was affected, accounting for 5.6 million people. Among adults, the next highest percentage involved the ages between 25 and 49.
50% of mental illness begins by age 14, and 3/4 begin by age 24.
Mental illness in Australia
One in five (20%) Australians aged 16-85 experience a mental illness in any year. The most common mental illnesses are depressive, anxiety and substance use disorder. These three types of mental illnesses often occur in combination.
The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare reports higher rates of depression for females than males but, like for any health condition, how depression is defined and the accuracy of diagnoses affects our understanding of its prevalence.
One of the most widely used tools in Australia for monitoring and assessing psychological distress is the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K-10).
Not only did we rank 32 out of 38 overall, but when it comes to the mental health of our children, we're doing even worse – 35 out of 38 countries.
Women are nearly twice as likely as men to be diagnosed with depression. Depression can occur at any age.
Prevalence of Major Depressive Episode Among Adults
This number represented 8.4% of all U.S. adults. The prevalence of major depressive episode was higher among adult females (10.5%) compared to males (6.2%).
You may be more vulnerable to depression if you have certain personality traits, such as low self-esteem or being overly self-critical. This may be because of the genes you've inherited from your parents, your early life experiences, or both.
There is evidence that some natural body changes associated with aging may increase a person's risk of experiencing depression. Recent studies suggest that lower concentrations of folate in the blood and nervous system may contribute to depression, mental impairment, and dementia.
Over 8 million (about 32%) Australians reported that they had been diagnosed with a long-term health condition, with 2.2 million (about 9%) reporting a Mental health condition (including depression or anxiety) (ABS 2022b).
Anxiety disorders (such as Social Phobia) are the most common type of disorder, affecting 1 in 6 (17%, or 3.3 million) Australians, followed by Affective disorders (such as Depressive Episode) (8%), and Substance Use disorders (such as Alcohol Dependence) (3.
Mental illnesses can be covered by the definition of disability in the Disability Discrimination Act. It is against the law to discriminate against a person because of their disability. There are some limited exceptions and exemptions.
Right now, nearly 10 million Americans are living with a serious mental disorder. The most common are anxiety disorders major depression and bipolar disorder.
According to the World Health Organization, people with severe mental health disorders have a 10–25-year reduction in life expectancy. Schizophrenia mortality rates are between 2 and 2.5 times those in the general population, while individuals with depression have a 1.8 times higher risk of premature mortality.
When the data from all 192 studies were integrated, the authors found that the peak age of onset for mental disorders was 14.5 years. About 34.6 percent of patients showed a disorder before the age of 14, 48.4 percent before the age of 18, and 62.5 percent before the age of 25 years.
While most have good mental health, many older adults are at risk of developing mental disorders, neurological disorders or substance use problems as well as other health conditions such as diabetes, hearing loss, and osteoarthritis.
Women suffer more stress than men because their response to stress is different. Women have a completely different hormonal system, which as a result causes them to react more emotionally and become more exhausted on an emotional level.