Factsheet: Mental Health

• As per Royal Australian & New Zealand College of Psychiatrists (RANZCP), the overall prevalence of mental illness is broadly similar in rural and urban Australia, however, access to the mental healthcare services is substantially limited than in major cities.
• Self-harm and suicide rates are considerably higher in rural areas, particularly among younger men, elderly men, and Indigenous people (RANZCP).
• In rural areas, regional economic recession due to drought, bushfire and flood can have a heavy impact, is a key influence on mental health and its consequences can be long-lasting (RANZCP).
• According to Australian Institute of Health & Welfare, almost half (45%) of the population aged 16-85 years old had experienced a mental disorder at some time in their lifetime during 2017.
• The mental disorders were responsible for an estimated 12.1% of the total disease burden in Australia (AIHW, 2011).
• As per the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), the Hunter, New England and Central Coast have 1.2 million people during the 2016 census. The population growth of this area is one of the fastest as per ABS.
• 1 in 7 people (14.4%) in these areas experience Chronic Mental and Behavioural Problems which is higher than the national average (13.6%) (Hunter New England & Central Coast PHN 2018).
• These areas have higher rates of high or very high psychological distress (12.2 per 100) than Australia (11.7).