Australia’s “gender-neutral” healthcare system is failing women in their most vulnerable stages of life, according to a new report that found dramatically higher rates of mental illness among women with physical conditions that don’t affect men.
More than half of Australian women now live with mental health issues, and one in four have severe mental health conditions, according to the latest report by advocacy group the Liptember Foundation and the George Institute of Global Health.
Women with female-specific physical health conditions, such as endometriosis, gynaecological cancers and birth trauma, have significantly higher rates of psychological distress than healthy women or those whose health concerns are also experienced by men.
The findings are based on a nationally representative survey of 7000 women conducted by Neilsen in March.
The survey found an alarming rise in body image issues for 14- to 19-year-olds (from 48 per cent in 2024 to 64 per cent in 2025) as well as suicidal thoughts and self-harm (16 per cent to 25 per cent) in the same age group.
More than one in three menopausal or perimenopausal women had depression or anxiety (37 per cent).
The researchers also found 45 per cent of women with female-specific physical health conditions reported severe mental distress versus 24 per cent of women in the general population.
But 43 per cent of women did not seek support, for reasons including that they believed they could manage on their own, they couldn’t afford support, and they didn’t consider their mental health issues serious enough to warrant it.
Source: 12ft
If you are saying more than half Austraian women are living with a mental health condition you are in fact saying that this is a norm and a base line which, if deviated from will imply illness.
So if more than half of an enslaved population is suffering with a mental health condition, should that be considered the norm for that group? Or should we conclude that there is something systemically problematic about their circumstances that is causing them to be ill? Is it possible that being oppressed, exploited, objectified and abused is bad for your health?
Good point. However the sample group is over 7 million presumably encompassing SES, ethnicity, age etc.
So without further break down of the stats it is hard to say.
Not hard for me, since women of every socio-economic status, ethnicity, age etc are impacted by male violence, abuse and discrimination whether in their homes or just within the community at large and we are specifically vulnerable due to our reproductive systems.