State of Mind Survey says we need to take more action on mental health
In partnership with Smiling Mind and the University of Newcastle, we've helped to deliver the State of Mind Survey which found that while Australians are doing well to talk about mental health, it's time to start taking more action.
The State of Mind Survey was rolled out to examine Australian attitudes and beliefs in relation to wellbeing and mindfulness. The main finding amongst the 1,200 Australian surveyed was that despite 88% of respondents acknowledging mental health is just as important as physical health, less than a third of Australians take action and seek help.
The findings demonstrated the positive impact increased awareness of mental health has, with 62% of respondents thinking about their mental health every day and 75% stating they know what to do to improve their mental health and wellbeing. However, not enough are translating this into action.
The results were launched today with a panel-led discussion with industry leaders, Dr Addie Wootten of Smiling Mind, Dr Moira Junge from Sleep Health Foundation and the National Mental Health Commissioner, Lucy Brogden, talking about how we can begin to translate mental health awareness into action and meaningful impact.
As 1 in 4 Australian teenagers will suffer from a mental illness, and 75% of all mental illness has its onset before age 24, it was agreed that placing preventative strategies in place, such as free access to mindfulness tools, particularly at an early life stage is proven to help counteract the negative impact of mental health in society. The survey also showed that 34% of respondents named relationships as the most important factor in maintaining good mental health, with sleep at a close second (32%), followed by exercise (15%), meditation (9%) and diet (5%).
Find out more about the Smiling Mind app, opens in a new tab - a free mindfulness meditation app.
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