Mental Health Australia

08/04/2025

Mental Health Australia welcomes the Australian Labor Party’s $1bn election commitment to significantly increase access to free mental health supports across the country, including uplifting services for young people with more complex needs, along with a much-needed boost to the mental health workforce.

Mental Health Australia has been urging all political parties and candidates to commit to free mental health care for all children and young people as part of their election platforms. With two-thirds of mental health issues emerging by age 25, and young people reporting cost is the most significant barrier to accessing mental health care, these investments are critical.

“This is a landmark investment that recognises the challenges the community is facing, particularly young people” said Carolyn Nikoloski, CEO of Mental Health Australia.

Read the media release here: https://ow.ly/SSAl50Vwe4L

14/03/2025

Thank you to Andrew Wilkie MP - Independent Member for Clark for being the first member of the Australian Parliament to sign Mental Health Australia's (MHA) Sector Sustainability Pledge.

Launched last month as part of our federal election platform, Mental Health Australia’s Sector Sustainability Statement outlines seven key actions to improve funding and contracting arrangements to ensure certainty for the community and sector providing mental health support.

While existing mental health services are doing an excellent job, they are nevertheless being hampered by resource constraints, poorly designed and executed contracting arrangements, and government red tape.

Seven simple, low and no cost changes can fix these problems.

We call on Federal Election candidates to pledge to support the Statement and deliver these changes if elected for the next term of government.

To find out more and read MHA’s Sector Sustainability Statement, visit: https://ow.ly/QRfo50VhR1P

11/03/2025

Rates of mental ill-health among young people increased by 50% between 2007 and 2022, so that now two out of five young people experience a mental health condition in a given year.*

We’re urging all political parties to commit to free mental health care for everyone under 25 as part of their federal election platforms.

Let’s change the trajectory for mental health in Australia this election.

Read more about MHA’s Federal Election Platform 2025 here: https://ow.ly/h7s750Vfnma

* Source: ABS (2020-2022). National Study of Mental Health and Wellbeing [Internet]. Australian Bureau of Statistics, Canberra.

07/03/2025

Mental Health Australia is urging all political parties to commit to free mental health care for everyone under the age of 25 as part of their federal election platforms.

This ambitious move could change the trajectory for mental health in Australia by investing in accessible care earlier in life, during the most critical phase of growth and development.

With two thirds of mental illnesses emerging by the age of 25, it is essential that any barriers to support are removed to ensure all children and young people can access the care they need to thrive.

The $8.5 billion health package announcement of Federal Labor on Sunday, quickly matched by the Coalition, is a welcome confirmation that universal access to healthcare is a deeply held Australian value across party lines. This will significantly improve equity in access to primary healthcare, with mental health challenges the most common reason people visit a GP.

However, without further changes, the pathway will end there. We need further investment to ensure availability of mental health supports in the community that GPs can refer people to, as well as appropriate alternate pathways online, through schools and walk-in community hubs, so that all children and young people can access the mental health supports they need.

Read more about MHA’s Federal Election Platform 2025 here: https://ow.ly/Q3Hr50VckPo

07/03/2025

Polling conducted for Mental Health Australia in late 2024 shows just how concerned our community has become about mental health in the past year, with three quarters of Australian voters demanding more action on this critical issue as we near the 2025 federal election. Voters clearly see this as a pressing, bipartisan issue that no party or candidate can ignore.

Alongside the polling, Mental Health Australia released our Vision Statement - designed to pave a new path for mental health reform in Australia in 2025 and beyond - as part of our 2025 Federal Election Platform.

Learn more about our vision and polling results at our website: https://ow.ly/RXJ150Vcp8t

20/11/2024

On Transgender Day of Remembrance, we pause to honour the lives of transgender people lost to violence. November 20 serves as a reminder of the ongoing struggles faced by the transgender community, and the importance of fostering love, acceptance, and respect for all.

Today, on Transgender Day of Remembrance, we honour the lives of trans and gender-diverse people lost to anti-trans violence. This day reminds us of the ongoing fight for trans rights and the urgent need to create a safe and inclusive world free from discrimination and violence.

Find out more about November 20 here: https://www.minus18.org.au/articles/what-is-trans-day-of-remembrance/?srsltid=AfmBOoo0k3Ev6AatZl6TIgng5dycb0PU2GV2Lc63cqvZmycOMuBOd2-q

18/11/2024

Mental Health Australia is a proud supporter of Perinatal Mental Health Week.

Taking place from 17-23 November, the theme for this year’s national campaign is ‘We’re here, a community that cares’.

This campaign shines a light on the importance of perinatal mental health and the vital role community support plays in nurturing expectant parents.

To find out more, visit www.pmhweek.org.au for resources, and ways to get involved 🩵

13/11/2024

Last night Mental Health Australia was joined by members and guests from around the country for our 18th Grace Groom Memorial Oration in Melbourne.

Our annual event honours the late Grace Groom, former CEO of the Mental Health Council of Australia (now Mental Health Australia).

This year’s oration featured a deeply moving speech by Her Excellency the Honourable Ms Sam Mostyn AC, Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia.

Ms Mostyn, a dedicated mental health advocate, emphasised the importance of care and kindness in improving our collective mental health. Ms Mostyn highlighted the critical role of belonging and connecting with our communities, as a pre-requisite for our mental health, and the mental wealth of Australia. Ms Mostyn’s words resonated with all present, reminding us of the important role and value of care as a lever for change in our society.

Thank you to everyone who joined us for an evening to remember, and to the Governor-General of Australia for sharing these photos.

12/11/2024

Today Mental Health Australia has been joined by over 100 CEOs, executives, and leaders from 69 of our 144 member organisations for our Members Policy Forum in Melbourne.

The Forum theme, Driving Change, is well-matched with an inspiring lineup of speakers, and the strong turnout highlights our collective resolve to drive a cohesive, impactful strategy for mental health reform going into 2025 and beyond.

10/10/2024

Thank you for joining us this year for our World Mental Health Day campaign: Meaningful Connections Matter!

If you haven't had a chance yet, you can read the stories from all 12 people across Australia who shared why meaningful connections matter to them:

https://worldmentalhealthday.com.au/stories

10/10/2024

"I can’t express how grateful I am to the various community services that walked alongside me, to my family who supported me during tough times, and to the friends who saw the best in me.

It’s important to remember that recovery is not linear—sometimes you take steps forwards, backwards, or sideways, but eventually, all those steps will add up, and you’ll look back and realise how much you’ve learned and grown.

Trust the process, be kind to yourself, and know that even the smallest steps are significant."

Hayley shares her story for World Mental Health Day.

You can read about why meaningful connections have mattered to her here:

https://worldmentalhealthday.com.au/stories/hayley/

10/10/2024

"My experiences were not always positive, and coming from a different culture, I found it hard to open up quickly to counsellors.”

Embrace Multicultural Mental Health Lived Experience Group member Sachi shares the story of how her journey with mental health has been challenging, but by seeking treatment and finding a counsellor who was able to understand her situation, she has been able to work towards having good mental health.

My journey with mental health has been quite challenging. It all started around 2015 when I started experiencing depression. My brain just stopped functioning normally, and I became very emotional, making it hard to live my everyday life. The situation was even more challenging because I felt isolat...