Mental health is important to every person and every community.
More than ever before, people and communities are interested in and engaged with the issue of mental health. The time is right to capitalise on that interest and set a vision for mental health in Australia, which involves not only the health sector, but every sector and every community.
Everybody has a role to play
This means working with our partners, including the media, schools, workplaces, families and communities to address risk factors, to promote resilience and wellbeing and to create a life that people want to live and flourish in. It also means creating a society where those living with mental illness do not experience stigma and discrimination.
Our Institute is a leading voice on the prevention of mental ill-health and the promotion of mental health and wellbeing. We work locally and nationally, and have the skills and partnerships needed to deliver successful responses for the communities we serve.
Acknowledgement
We acknowledge all people who have personal experience of mental health concerns. The voice of people with lived and living experience is essential in the development of our work.
We acknowledge the traditional owners of the land we live and work on and pay our respects to elders past, present and future. We also pay our respects to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander services and communities who support our work and partner with us in an effort to improve social and emotional wellbeing across Australia.
We acknowledge the many organisations, service providers and community members who work in partnership with us and who share their views, their knowledge and expertise, and their stories to help shape our work.
In this section
Understanding mental health and wellbeing
Being mentally healthy and living well is important to every single one of us. It’s about enjoying life and being able to cope with stresses.
Understanding mental ill-health
Over four million Australians will experience mental illness this year alone. Many more will be affected as family members, friends and colleagues.
Language and stigma
The way we talk about mental health concerns and the things we express publicly through media, social media, in our homes and in our workplaces can make a difference.
Key facts
According to the National Study of Mental Health and Wellbeing 2020-22 (released by the ABS October 2023), over two in five Australians aged 16-85 years (42.9% or 8.5 million people) had experienced a mental disorder at some time in their life.