Mental health is fundamental to the wellbeing of individuals, their families and the population as a whole (ABS 2018). According to the 2019 National Drug Strategy Household Survey (NDSHS) estimates, 16.9% of the general population aged 14 and over had been diagnosed or treated for a mental health condition in the previous 12 months. This increased from 15.9% in 2016 (AIHW 2020). The proportion of people aged 18 and over experiencing high or very high levels of psychological distress also increased, from 11.7% in 2016 to 14.0% in 2019 (AIHW 2020).
Increasing literacy and awareness around mental illness in Australia may partially explain these reported increases (National Mental Health Commission of NSW 2015), however, there are likely to be other factors involved including changing trends and patterns in alcohol and other drugs use.
There is a complex relationship between mental health and alcohol and other drug use. A mental illness may make a person more likely to use drugs to provide short-term relief from their symptoms, while other people have drug problems that may trigger the first symptoms of mental illness (AIHW 2020). It is often difficult to determine whether mental illness preceded substance use or vice versa. In particular, self-reported survey data (such as that reported in the NDSHS) do not establish a causal link between mental health conditions and drug use (AIHW 2020).
Key findings