Interestingly, the number of mental health issues does differ from state to state. For example, Tasmania sees the highest rate of anxiety and depression -- at 21.6% and 18.1% affected respectively, while Queenslanders show the highest stress levels, with 27.5% reporting that they're regularly affected by stress.
States With the Highest Rates of Mental Illness
Montana has the No. 1 highest rate of mental illness (25.76% of adults report having any mental illness and 6.75% of adults report having a serious mental illness).
An estimated 1 in 5 Australians experience mental illness in any given year, most of which will be mild (15% or an estimated 2.3 million Australians among the 15.3 million Australians) or moderate (7%, or an estimated 1.2 million people).
The data from the report was used to also compile a "league table", and the results are a source of shame for Australia. 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.
20% or 4.8 million Australians had a mental or behavioural condition, an increase from 18% in 2014-15. 13% or 3.2 million Australians had an anxiety-related condition, an increase from 11% in 2014-15. 10% had depression or feelings of depression, an increase from 9% in 2014-15.
Mental illness in Australia
Mental illness is very common. 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.
1. Sydney, NSW. Taking first place in this year's healthiest city rankings is Sydney, coming number one in the majority of the different categories. They also place the highest priority on their wellness compared to the rest of Australia, with 70% of Sydneysiders stated that wellness is a high priority for them.
Mental health is a key component of overall health and wellbeing (WHO 2021). In any year in Australia, an estimated 1 in 5 people aged 16–85 will experience a mental health disorder (ABS 2022).
Australia ranks 7th on the OECD Better Life Index, based on living conditions and quality of life.
Australia's mental health system is financially destructive and completely inadequate at providing patients with the services they need.
The Australian Bureau of Statistics estimated that 2.1 million Australians, or 9.3 per cent of our population, were suffering from some form of depression. On average, around 1 in 6 people – 1 in 5 women and 1 in 8 men – will experience MDD at some point in their lives.
The AIHW estimates that around $11.0 billion per annum is spent on mental health-related services in Australia.
According to the 2022 adult rankings, the top five states with the lowest mental illness prevalence and highest access to care are New Jersey, Wisconsin, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and New York. Immediately following are Minnesota, Hawaii, Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Illinois.
West Virginia (29%) is the most depressed state, followed by Kentucky (27.6%) and Vermont (26.6%), based on age-adjusted prevalence estimates from those survey responses in 2021.
Out of the Top 10 U.S. cities for worst mental health, Dallas, TX ranked number one, with a score of 23.5. Texas cities Houston, San Antonio, and Austin took the second, fourth, and ninth spots respectively on the list of worst cities for mental health.
3 million Australians are living with anxiety. Anxiety is the most common mental health condition in Australia. 1 in 4 people will experience anxiety at some stage in their life.
The University of Melbourne is currently ranked first in Australia by QS Top University Rankings by Subject 2022. It's also equal 17th in the world for a Bachelor of Psychology.
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.
Adelaide, tying with Gold Coast, has been named the healthiest cities in Australia in a new study by Mandoe Media, with Melbourne, Perth and Sydney rounding out the top 5. Brisbane missed a top 5 place, ranking 6th, and the nation's capital ranked 12th.
Cardiovascular diseases (coronary heart disease and stroke), dementia and Alzheimer disease, lung cancer and chronic lower respiratory disease including COPD are the most common underlying causes, together being responsible for 40% of all deaths.
- Depression affects more people than any other mental disorder and is also one of the world's leading causes of disability.
U.S. Presidents Abraham Lincoln and John F. Kennedy, along with Civil War generals Ulysses S. Grant and William Tecumseh Sherman and civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr., all struggled with mental health issues, often depression, said Tufts University psychiatry professor Dr.