New research from The Growth Distillery in partnership with Medibank has revealed a paradox in Australian mental health: while 82 per cent of people feel better after discussing their wellbeing, 51 per cent choose to remain silent about their struggles.
Released in full for the first time, the core message from the State of Mind: Australia’s Mental Health Conversation report is the need to bridge the gap between awareness and action.
The study found that fostering a culture of casual, consistent check-ins builds trust and resilience, making individuals up to three times less likely to experience frequent feelings of stress, burnout, loneliness, or self-doubt.
Other key findings include that 40 per cent of Aussies feel stressed weekly while 34 per cent experience weekly burnout. Nearly a third of us experience loneliness on a weekly basis. Two-thirds of Australians rely on social media for mental health information but a third of Gen Z and Millennials say it makes them feel worse
Nearly half of us say money concerns have the most impact on their mental wellbeing, while three-quarters agree home is the safest space to discuss mental wellbeing but 32 per cent of young people say their parents have responded unhelpfully when they’ve opened up.
The Growth Distillery senior research director, Bethan Hockey said: “This research provides a deep dive into how Australians are feeling, managing and talking about their mental wellbeing. We looked at some of the key issues and identified specific areas, such as home, work and social circles, where positive actionable change can occur. This research emphasises that turning awareness into action starts close to home, and that change begins with individuals creating space to listen, check-in, and speak openly.”
The State of Mind: Australia’s Mental Health Conversation research underpinned News Corp Australia’s recent partnership with Medibank for the Can We Talk? awareness campaign.
