Australian women’s mental health and wellbeing in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic
Synopsis
The COVID-19 pandemic has had a noticeable impact on mental health
and mental health services, with uptake showing an increase of 14.5% from 2019
to 2020. Crisis line contacts were also 15% higher during 2020, compared to
20191. The Australian Longitudinal Study on Women ’ s Health reported
high levels of general stress and psychological distress among women in their
twenties and forties during 20202. The purpose of the current
research is to highlight the impact of COVID-19 and policies designed to
control COVID-19 on the mental health of women from across Australia, including
the impact of economic factors such as poverty and employment. The report to
the Mental Health Commission will profile those who were most at risk of
experiencing mental health problems during 2020, by taking account of previous
mental health, sociodemographic status, caring responsibilities and a history
of abuse prior to the pandemic. The report will also identify the burdens
experienced, and coping strategies used by women during 2020, and establish the
impact of the pandemic on women’s safety.
1:
https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/mental-health-services/mental-health-services-in-australia/report-contents/mental-health-impact-of-covid-19/impacts-on-australian-government-funded-mental-health-service-activity
2:
https://www.alswh.org.au/outcomes/reports/covid-19-survey-reports/