Half of Australia's population will experience a mental health disorder by this age

The rates are soaring

For men the most common disorders are alcohol abuse, depression and specific phobias. Image: Getty

Researchers have found one in two Australians will deal with one of these mental health disorders in their lifetime.

By the time we’re 75, half the Australian population will have experienced a mental health disorder, scientists say.

The claim comes from University of Queensland researchers who teamed up with Harvard Medical School to track 150,000 adults from 29 countries over two decades.

The most common disorders that arose in participants were depression and anxiety.

"This is a really shocking finding and a wake-up call for us," University of Queensland’s Professor John McGrath told The ABC.

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For women, the most common disorders are depression, specific phobias and post-traumatic stress, and for men, they’re alcohol abuse, depression and specific phobias.

In young people, they are anxiety, depression and substance abuse, and the peak age for a mental disorder to begin is just 15, and half of those who develop a disorder will have acquired it by the age of 19.

"This is when they are at school when they are teenagers, and when they are at the greatest risk of developing mental health disorders," Professor McGrath explained.

Setting them up for success emotionally and mentally is an important factor in nurturing their mental health, as is support for those who need it. And knowing when they need it, too.

"This is a really important age for people to finish their education, start their careers, start partnerships and leave their families," he said.

"We don't want mental disorders disrupting these key life events."

In young people, the most common disorders are anxiety, depression and substance abuse. Image: Pexels

Given the alarming findings, he wants resources and funding to be directed at young people. 

"Australia has done very well with Headspace and investment in child youth mental health, but we need more. There are huge unmet needs," he said.

As of the 2020-2021 financial year, the Australian Bureau of Statistics reported that more than two in five Aussies had experienced a mental disorder so far in their lifetime.

That’s a lot of people, and given the year those findings were documented – pre-pandemic – it's likely there would be more people living with mental illness today given how the lockdowns and now the cost of living are affecting everyday Australians.

“When you piece it together across your whole life span, which is what we have done, you see that it is actually one in two," Professor McGrath said of the university's updated figures. 

Originally published as Half of Australia's population will experience a mental health disorder by this age