Coronavirus Australia: Mental health crisis looms as COVID-19 impacts all aspects of life

A major crisis is brewing in the shadow of coronavirus that will impact millions of Aussies for years to come even if they don’t catch COVID-19.

A major crisis is brewing in the shadow of coronavirus that will impact millions of Australians, even if they don’t catch the disease themselves, for years to come.

The significant response to COVID-19, and its economic and social costs, will have long-lasting mental health consequences that could deliver an injury and death toll greater than that of the pandemic itself, experts warn.

Professor Patrick McGorry, one of the country’s most respected mental health voices, has warned of a looming “disaster” that will touch all segments of the population – but especially young people.

“We’re going to see threats to mental health like we’ve never seen before,” Professor McGorry, executive director of Orygen and a youth mental health expert at the University of Melbourne, told news.com.au.

Modelling indicates there will be a 30 per cent increase in demand for care both during the pandemic and long after COVID-19 is a thing of the past, he said.

“It doesn’t mean everyone will become mentally ill. Most people will feel anxious, stressed and pessimistic and won’t need acute care,” Professor McGorry explained.

“But there will be a significant rise in the number of people who require a high level of mental health care. That’s what we’re concerned about.

“It will be in people with existing mental health conditions who will relapse, and they certainly are now, but there will be a group without a history who will go over the edge.”

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More than three-quarters of Australians say their mental health worsened during the first period of the COVID-19 crisis, one study found.

That was from analysis conducted in late March and early April, in the first ‘wave’ of coronavirus, so the more recent impact is likely to be dire.

Black Dog Institute at the University of New South Wales surveyed more than 5000 people about how they coped during the outbreak’s first phase. Four-in-five respondents felt “very uncertain” about the future and 78 per cent reported a deterioration in their mental health.

Right now, Australians are turning to crisis hotline Lifeline more than ever before, with calls increasing by 25 per cent compared to last year.

“Lifeline is Australia’s largest crisis line – we will receive well over one million calls this year, so a 25 per cent increase is significant,” a spokesperson said.

In March, Lifeline received almost 90,000 calls for help – a record for the organisation over its 57-year history.

For groups who are already vulnerable or live with existing mental health challenges, the past several months has placed additional pressures on their wellbeing.

The number of counselling sessions used by Australian veterans and their families has spiked by more than 50 per cent during the coronavirus crisis, for example.

Open Arms, a support organisation for former Defence Force personnel and their immediate loved ones, said there was a surge in demand for its services between March and June.

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While Australians from all demographics and walks of life are experiencing issues at the moment, Professor McGorry said young people and women are dramatically over-represented.

General anxiety about coronavirus and its impacts, as well as uncertainty about the future, are driving those pressures, but Professor McGorry said that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

“There’s a lot of loss involved – the loss of employment, security and stability, education disruption, the loss of family connections,” he said.

“The way we protect our mentally health normally is by doing things that make life worth living – playing sport, socialising, going out, travelling, pursuing hobbies … almost all of those things either aren’t possible or remain challenging.

“And then on top of all of that is the big one – the economic pressures caused by unemployment. Unemployment is a very potent driver of mental illness and suicide rates, especially in young people.”

The youth unemployment rate currently is double what it is for adults and this disparity will likely prevail long after the pandemic has passed, with dire consequences.

A mental health crisis is brewing and its impact is going to be devastating, prolonged and costly. Picture: Shari Allen

Historically, evidence from past economic recessions and depressions has consistently shown a correlation between unemployment rate spikes and higher levels of suicide.

This crisis is unlikely to be any different.

“The predicted increase of suicides is 25 per cent each year for the next five years,” Professor Ian Hickie, co-director of the Brain and Mind Centre at The University of Sydney, said.

“That’s 750 extra deaths by suicide a year. It’s an enormous number. It will be a massively bigger death toll than COVID.”

Professor Hickie and his colleagues at BMC modelled the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, and Australia’s response to it, on suicide rates.

The figure of 25 per cent more suicide deaths annually could wind up being a conservative estimate, he warned.

“National surveys of anxiety and depression both via the Australian Bureau of Statistics and (academic) studies show increasing rates of psychological distress since the pandemic began,” Professor Hickie said.

“Initially, I think there was a high degree of anxiety about health but I think the deep and ongoing anxiety is about people’s economic future.”

The risks can be reduced by investing in quality mental health services, Professor McGorry said.

“It’s not like it’s a terminal cancer and death is inevitable. People can be saved. A focus on employment opportunities must be coupled with well-funded and fit-for-purpose mental health services.”

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Responding to the looming mental health crisis won’t be cheap, Professor McGorry conceded, but it will save lives.

“Think about it this way. The National Disability Insurance Scheme is a great thing that benefits 400,000 Australians at a cost of $22 billion a year.

“We currently spend $10 billion a year on the five million Australians with mental illness. So, we’re underfunding it to a great degree. It’s a matter of billions, not $10 million here or $10 million there.”

Coronavirus provides governments the opportunity to significantly reform mental health care and build a world-class system.

“That will have a positive impact on the mental health outcomes of the coronavirus pandemic.

“If the economic collapse is severe and the system can’t respond, you’re going to see a whole generation of young people who will lose a decade of their lives. The stakes are very high.”