Women

Women are known for putting others first. But when it comes to your health it is important to prioritise your own needs and speak up when you need support.

While good mental health is essential to the overall health of both men and women, women experience some mental health conditions at higher rates than men. 

In fact, around 1 in 6 women in Australia will experience depression and 1 in 3 women will experience anxiety during their lifetime.¹ Women also experience post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)² and eating disorders at higher rates than men.³

Depression and anxiety can affect women at any time in their life but there is an increased chance during pregnancy and the year following the birth of a baby. Up to 1 in 10 women experience depression while they are pregnant and 1 in 6 women experience depression during the first year after birth. Anxiety conditions are thought to be as common with many women experiencing both conditions at the same time.⁴

There are a range of ways in which you can care for your mental health to help improve your quality of life for you and the people you love. The important thing to remember is that effective treatments are available and, with the right care, most people recover.

Find out more

^{1. For a full list of references for the statistics on this page, and any others across the website, please visit the references page and search through the relevant category.}