Nearly half of Australians are experiencing multiple stressors in their life sparking a rise in mental health issues.
New data from Beyond Blue, which had 276,000 people contact their support services in the 2023-24 financial year, found almost 50 percent of people surveyed had lived through three or more life stressors in the last 12 months.
Beyond Blue CEO Georgie Harman said they reported experiencing anxiety, depression or suicidal thoughts and behaviours, with the rate “increasing remarkably” with each additional stressor faced.
Ms Harman said the study reflected the mental health impacts of a range of life events including financial pressures, personal relationship challenges, affordability of housing, loneliness or lack of social connection, change of health of family member, major illness or injury, job loss, transition or insecurity, having or raising children, death of a loved one and divorce.
“This reinforces the need for free, accessible immediate support that’s available around the clock and around Australia, like the Beyond Blue Support Service and its webchat, at beyondblue.org.au,” she said.
“Every two minutes, someone in Australia hits a low point, and reaches out for help.”
Ms Harman said the data showed that within a 12-month period:
- Four-in-10 people reported anxiety when faced with one-to-two distressing events, but for those who lived through five or more common life stressors, this jumped up to more than eight-in-10 people.
- Two-in-10 Australians reported depression while bearing with one-to-two distressing events compared to seven-in-10 people who had experienced five or more distressing life events.
- For people who experienced one-to-two distressing events, one-in-20 had suicidal thoughts while the respondents who reported navigating five or more distressing life events, one-in-three had experienced suicidal thoughts.
“We’re pretty good at handling one challenge at a time but when issues pile up it can be too much for anyone to handle, and you need help.”
“Everyone has a point where things become too much – but you don’t need to wait for that tipping point. We want people to know free support is available, and the sooner you reach out for it the better.”
Ms Harman said data also showed that 83 percent of Australians experienced at least one life event that caused them distress in the last 12 months.
“The vast majority of Australians are dealing with something, and for nearly half of Australians, they’re not dealing with just one life stressor, but multiple life stressors at the same time which is having a compounding impact on mental health.”
Rank order of distressing life events:
- Financial pressure: 46 percent.
- Personal relationship challenges: 34 percent.
- Affordability of housing: 34 percent.
- Loneliness or lack of social connection: 30 percent.
- Change of health of family member: 25 percent.
- Major illness or injury: 21 percent.
- Job loss, transition or insecurity: 20 percent.
- Having or raising children: 20 percent.
- Death of a loved one: 20 percent.
- Divorce: 2 percent.
