Psychological Distress Reported in Seven Consecutive Cross-Sectional National Surveys From 2001 to 2021

Mental Health in Australia: Psychological Distress Reported in Seven Consecutive Cross-Sectional National Surveys From 2001 to 2021 Reporting the prevalence of mental illness over time, and by sociodemographic subgroups, are important benchmark data. Examining reliable population level data can highlight groups with greater mental-illness related symptom burden and inform policy and strategy. Previous work examining trends in psychological distress as measured by the K10 in the Australian population from the National Health Surveys between 2001 and 2014 had reported stable rates. Very-high K10 scores are strongly associated with mental health problems meeting diagnostic thresholds in the last year. Our previous study published in April 2022 provides valuable cross-sectional surveillance information on trends in psychological distress in Australia, during the past two decades. The findings extend previous work by inclusion of a further national survey data point at 2017/18, and by exploring key subgroups by age, gender, household income and location. Key messages from this analysis are that the rate of probable mental illness in Australia appears to be increasing, most notably in women aged 55-64, and those from low-income backgrounds. Given that this has occurred whilst mental healthcare expenditure has increased, there is an urgent need to reconsider how best to respond to mental illness, including targeting the most vulnerable based on social determinants such as age, gender, and lower incomes. You can extend this data research by including another national survey into the analysis to see if distress rates at national level in Australia are still increasing. In particular, we are looking for research students who would like to examine the national distress data in women. Our Research Environment As a research student in the Monash Centre for Health Research and Implementation (MCHRI) you will have access to supervision from international and national leaders in research and translation in a supportive and collaborative research environment. Research students are able to draw upon expertise from across the centre to support quantitative, qualitative and mixed methods research. You will have opportunity to develop research skills and understanding of ethics through workshops and seminars while gaining exposure to a wide variety of research methods and topics through attendance at a weekly academic seminar series.