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Anxiety is the most common mental health condition in Australia, and one of the most treatable. More than one in six Australians aged 16 to 85 had an anxiety disorder in the past year, and anxiety disorders now sit among the five diseases causing the most health burden in the country. Yet many people never get help, often because the signs are mistaken for stress, personality or "just how I am". Knowing what anxiety looks like, and how to respond when someone is struggling, makes a real difference at home, at work and in the community. At a glance 17.2% of Australians aged 16 to 85 had an anxiety disorder in the 12 months before they were surveyed, making it the most common type of mental disorder (ABS, 2020 to 2022). That is about 3.3 million people, according to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW). About 7% of children and adolescents aged 4 to 17, or roughly 293,000 young people, have an anxiety disorder (AIHW). Anxiety disorders were among the top five diseases causing burden in Australia in 2024 and caused 3.9% of the country's total disease burden (AIHW). The burden from anxiety disorders rose 34% between 2003 and 2024. Fewer than half of people with a mental disorder in the past year (45.1%) saw a health professional about it. Anxiety disorders in Australia: how common are they? Everyone feels anxious from time to time. A job interview, a medical test or a difficult conversation can bring on a racing heart and a knot in the stomach, and that response usually passes once the moment does. An anxiety disorder is different. The worry is stronger, lasts longer and starts to shape how a person lives: what they avoid, how they sleep, whether they can concentrate at work or school. The Australian Bureau of Statistics National Study of Mental Health and Wellbeing, run between 2020 and 2022, found that one in five Australians (21.5%) experienced a mental disorder in the previous 12 months. Anxiety was the most common group by a wide margin, affecting 17.2% of people aged 16 to 85. Young adults were hit hardest overall: 38.8% of 16 to 24 year olds had a mental disorder in the past year, including almost half of young women in that age group (45.5%). The AIHW's latest Australian Burden of Disease Study puts that in a broader health context. In 2024, coronary heart disease, dementia, back pain, anxiety disorders and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease were the top five diseases causing burden. Within mental and substance use disorders, anxiety caused the most burden for both females and males, and that burden has grown by around a third since 2003. Why it matters: Anxiety is not a niche issue. In a workplace of 30 people, statistics suggest around five may have lived with an anxiety disorder in the past year. Treating it as a mainstream health issue, like back pain or heart health, helps people speak up earlier. What anxiety can look like Anxiety does not always look like panic. Often it is quieter and easier to miss. Beyond Blue describes common signs including: Thoughts and feelings: feeling very worried or anxious most of the time, being unable to control anxious thoughts, difficulty concentrating or the mind going blank. Physical signs: tiring easily, muscle tension and disturbed sleep. Behaviour: finding it hard to calm down, and often avoiding situations, places or people that trigger the worry. There are several types of anxiety disorder, including generalised anxiety disorder, social anxiety disorder, panic disorder, specific phobias and post-traumatic stress disorder. Anxiety also commonly occurs alongside depression and alcohol or other drug use, which can make it harder to recognise. In practice, a colleague with anxiety might start declining meetings or presentations, check and recheck their work, call in sick before stressful deadlines, or seem irritable and exhausted. A teenager might complain of stomach aches before school. An older parent might stop driving or going out. None of these on their own means someone has an anxiety disorder, but a pattern that lasts weeks and gets in the way of daily life is worth a gentle conversation. Why it matters: People with anxiety are often very good at hiding it. Knowing the quieter signs helps families, friends and managers notice change before it becomes a crisis. The cost of leaving anxiety unaddressed Untreated anxiety tends to shrink a person's world. Avoidance brings short term relief, but over time it can mean turning down promotions, leaving study, withdrawing from friends or relying on alcohol to cope. Sleep problems and constant tension take a physical toll, and anxiety raises the risk of developing depression. The ripple effect is wide. Partners and children often adjust their own lives around a loved one's avoidance. In workplaces, anxiety shows up as presenteeism (being at work but struggling to function), absence and turnover. Across the health system, the steady rise in burden recorded by the AIHW reflects years of people living with symptoms that are highly treatable. The ABS study also found that fewer than half of people with a mental disorder in the past year (45.1%) consulted a health professional about their mental health. Stigma, cost, not knowing where to go, and not recognising the problem all play a part. Why it matters: Anxiety responds well to support, particularly psychological therapies such as cognitive behavioural therapy. The earlier someone gets help, the less ground they lose. Anxiety at work: psychosocial hazards and early support Work can be a protective factor for mental health, providing purpose, routine and connection. It can also be a source of harm. High job demands, low control, poor support, unclear roles, bullying, harassment and poor organisational change management are all recognised psychosocial hazards under work health and safety law. In NSW, the Code of Practice: Managing psychosocial hazards at work sets out how businesses should identify, assess and control these risks, just as they would physical hazards. For people already living with anxiety, a workplace that runs on constant urgency, unpredictable workloads or a culture of public criticism can make symptoms much worse. Equally, small, practical adjustments can keep someone well and at work: predictable schedules, clear expectations, flexibility for appointments, and a manager who checks in without judgement. We covered the latest rise in psychological injury claims in our October 2026 mental health news update. Why it matters: Managing psychosocial hazards is a legal duty, and it is also one of the most effective ways to prevent anxiety from developing or worsening at work. FME's psychosocial hazards consultancy helps organisations assess risks and build practical controls. How to help someone who is anxious You do not need to be a clinician to make a difference. Mental Health First Aid teaches a simple, evidence based approach that anyone can use: Notice and approach. Choose a private, calm moment. Say what you have noticed without labelling: "You've seemed really on edge lately. How are you going? Listen without judgement. Let them talk. Avoid telling them to "just relax" or "stop worrying", which can make people feel dismissed. Give support and information. Reassure them that anxiety is common and treatable. Offer practical help, such as finding a GP or sitting with them while they make a call. Encourage professional help. A GP is a good first step and can discuss options including a Mental Health Treatment Plan for Medicare subsidised psychology sessions. The free Medicare Mental Health phone service (1800 595 212, business hours) can also help connect people to local care. Encourage other supports. Regular exercise, sleep, limiting alcohol and staying connected with others all help, alongside professional treatment. If someone is having a panic attack, stay with them, speak slowly and calmly, and encourage slow breathing. If you are unsure whether it is a panic attack or a physical emergency such as a heart attack, call 000. Why it matters: The first conversation is often the hardest step. Someone who feels heard is far more likely to seek help. What it means for you For individuals and families: If worry is getting in the way of sleep, work, study or relationships for more than a few weeks, talk to your GP. Anxiety is one of the most treatable mental health conditions. If you are supporting a young person, the Youth Mental Health First Aid course gives parents and carers practical skills. For managers and team leaders: Watch for changes in behaviour, not just performance. Check in privately, listen, and talk about reasonable adjustments. Know where to point people, including your Employee Assistance Program and their GP. Training such as Standard Mental Health First Aid gives you the confidence to have that conversation well. For organisations: Treat psychosocial hazards like any other WHS risk. Review workloads, role clarity and how change is managed, and build a culture where people can say "I'm not coping" safely. FME's workplace mental health training and consultancy can help you meet your obligations and support your people. How FME can help Focused Mental Education delivers accredited Mental Health First Aid training Australia wide, including Standard, Youth and Older Person courses, plus psychosocial hazards consultancy, counselling and NDIS supports. Explore our courses, call us on (02) 8044 3365 or email info@fme.com.au. Where to get support If you or someone you know needs support, contact Lifeline on 13 11 14, the Suicide Call Back Service on 1300 659 467, or Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people can call 13YARN on 13 92 76. If life is in danger, call 000. Sources Australian Bureau of Statistics, "Two in five Australians have experienced a mental disorder", media release, 5 October 2023. abs.gov.au Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, "Prevalence and impact of mental illness", Mental health, updated March 2023. aihw.gov.au Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, "Burden of disease", Mental health snapshot (Australian Burden of Disease Study 2024), accessed 4 November 2026. aihw.gov.au Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, "Australian Burden of Disease Study 2024", accessed 4 November 2026. aihw.gov.au Beyond Blue, "Anxiety", accessed 4 November 2026. beyondblue.org.au Healthdirect Australia, "Medicare Mental Health", accessed 4 November 2026. about.healthdirect.gov.au SafeWork NSW, "Code of Practice: Managing psychosocial hazards at work", accessed 4 November 2026. safework.nsw.gov.au

The ABS suicide data for 2025 tells a story that every Australian workplace should hear. Suicide was the leading cause of death for people aged 15 to 44, the years when most of us are working, studying or raising families. Men accounted for almost three in every four deaths, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people continued to be affected at more than three times the rate of other Australians, and suicide again caused more years of life lost than any other cause. Behind each number is a person, a family and a workplace. The encouraging part is that suicide is preventable, and much of what helps is within reach of ordinary people, managers and organisations. At a glance Working age is most affected: suicide was the leading cause of death for Australians aged 15 to 44 in 2025, and 82.2% of people who died by suicide were under 65. Men are about three in four: 2,425 men (73.9%) and 858 women died by suicide. The male rate eased from 18.4 to 17.3 per 100,000, while the female rate rose from 5.6 to 6.0. Years of life lost: suicide was again the leading cause of premature death, with 108,674 potential years of life lost, an average of 35.3 years per person. First Nations communities: 320 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people died by suicide, with a median age of just 33.8 years. NSW: 916 people died by suicide, a rate of 10.3 per 100,000, which the ABS describes as the lowest in its ten year series for the state. Risk factors: 84.5% of deaths had at least one risk factor recorded, most commonly psychosocial factors (72.4%), and 13.0% had an employment related risk factor. The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) released Causes of Death, Australia, 2025 on Tuesday 27 October 2026. Our October 2026 mental health news update covered the headline national figures: 3,283 deaths by suicide, an age-standardised rate of 11.6 per 100,000 (down slightly from 11.9 in 2024), and a concerning rise to 100 deaths among children and young people aged 5 to 17. This article looks deeper at what the release shows about who is most affected, and what that means for families, managers and organisations. All 2025 figures are preliminary and may be revised. Understanding the ABS suicide data 2025: a working age issue Suicide ranked 15th among all causes of death in Australia in 2025, but that ranking hides how heavily it falls on younger and middle aged people. For Australians aged 15 to 44, no other cause of death was more common. The median age of people who died by suicide was 45.0 years, compared with 81.9 years for all deaths. The ABS also measures premature death through potential years of life lost, which counts how many years each person might otherwise have lived. Suicide accounted for 108,674 of those years in 2025 (78,539 for men and 30,145 for women), more than any other cause. On average, each death represented 35.3 years of life. The ABS notes that suicide again surpassed breast cancer as the leading cause of premature death among women. Why it matters: Most people aged 15 to 44 are at work, in training or caring for others, which means workplaces, schools, TAFEs and universities are among the places where distress is most likely to be noticed. A colleague or supervisor is often in a better position to see a change in someone than a health professional who has never met them. Equipping people in these settings to recognise when someone is struggling, and to have a supportive conversation, is one of the most practical forms of prevention available. Men make up almost three in four deaths In 2025, 2,425 men died by suicide, 73.9% of the total. The male age-standardised rate was 17.3 per 100,000, down from 18.4 in 2024. Men aged 45 to 49 had the highest age specific rate (26.8 per 100,000), and men aged 35 to 39 accounted for the largest share of male deaths. The picture for women moved in the other direction. Some 858 women died by suicide, and the female rate rose from 5.6 to 6.0 per 100,000. Women aged 55 to 59 had the highest female rate (9.0 per 100,000). The data also shows strong links with place and disadvantage. People living in remote and very remote areas had a rate of 21.4 per 100,000, compared with 9.8 in major cities, although the remote rate fell from 24.7 in 2024. People in the most disadvantaged fifth of areas had a rate 2.4 times higher than those in the least disadvantaged. Why it matters: Men are less likely than women to seek help early, and they are heavily represented in industries such as transport, construction, mining and agriculture, often in regional areas. The ABS occupation data shows that among men, road and rail drivers recorded the highest number of suicides of any occupation group. Meanwhile, the rising female rate is a reminder that no group should be overlooked. Workplaces can make it easier for everyone to speak up by normalising conversations about mental health, training leaders to check in, and making support easy to reach, including for shift and remote workers. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities The ABS data shows that 320 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people died by suicide across Australia in 2025. According to the Life in Mind summary of the ABS data, the median age at death was 33.8 years, more than a decade younger than for all suicide deaths, and the age-standardised rate across six jurisdictions was 34.8 per 100,000, the highest in the time series. In the five jurisdictions where comparisons can be made, the rate was more than three times that of non-Indigenous Australians (35.7 compared with 10.7 per 100,000). More than 30% of these deaths occurred in New South Wales, where 101 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people died by suicide in 2025. These figures need to be read with care and respect. Suicide among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people cannot be separated from the ongoing effects of colonisation, intergenerational trauma, racism and dispossession. Strong connection to culture, Country, family and community is protective, and the most effective prevention is led by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people themselves. The Centre of Best Practice in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Suicide Prevention was among the organisations that briefed media and stakeholders on this data. Why it matters: Every community, school and workplace with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander staff, students or clients has a role in providing culturally safe support. That includes listening, respecting cultural ways of healing and making sure people know about services such as 13YARN, which is run by and for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. FME's Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Mental Health First Aid course is designed to build culturally appropriate skills for supporting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. What the data shows for NSW and the states In NSW, 916 people died by suicide in 2025 (669 men and 247 women), down from 938 in 2024. The NSW rate of 10.3 per 100,000 was below the national rate and, according to the ABS, the lowest in its ten year series for the state. Life in Mind notes that the rate in Greater Sydney is lower than in the rest of NSW, which reinforces the need for strong support in regional and rural communities. Across the country, rates were highest in the Northern Territory (18.6 per 100,000) and Tasmania (17.7, up from 14.2 in 2024), and lowest in the ACT (7.7). Queensland recorded 13.4 and Western Australia 13.3, while Victoria (10.6) and South Australia (10.8) were close to NSW. Because smaller jurisdictions can see large swings from year to year, these comparisons should be treated with caution. Why it matters: A falling rate in NSW is welcome, but it still represents more than 900 people and many more family members, friends and colleagues affected. Local organisations, councils and employers in regional NSW are especially well placed to strengthen early support. Risk factors: suicide is rarely about one thing The ABS records risk factors identified by coroners for each death. In 2025, 84.5% of deaths had at least one risk factor recorded, with an average of 4.7 per person. Psychosocial factors were present in 72.4% of deaths, mental and behavioural conditions in 65.6%, and physical health conditions in 60.2%. The most common individual factors were mood disorders such as depression (35.8%), suicidal thinking (30.7%), problems in a spousal relationship (26.7%), a personal history of self-harm (24.3%), anxiety and stress disorders (21.9%) and long term harmful substance use (19.5%). Legal problems (17.2%) and family and friendship difficulties (16.2%) also featured. Employment related factors such as job loss or workplace problems were recorded in 13.0% of deaths, rising to 18.2% for people aged 45 to 64. Risk factors are not the same as warning signs, and they do not explain why any one person died. As Life in Mind notes, suicide is complex and there is rarely a single reason. What the data does show is that most people who died were dealing with several overlapping stresses, many of which are visible to the people around them. Why it matters: Relationship breakdowns, financial and legal stress, job insecurity and mental health conditions are all things that workplaces and communities encounter every day. When people know how to notice these pressures and respond with care, there are more opportunities to connect someone with support before they reach crisis point. For employers, workplace problems and job loss are also psychosocial hazards that must be managed under work health and safety laws. What it means for you Individuals and families If someone you care about seems withdrawn, overwhelmed or not themselves, trust your instincts and check in. Asking directly and calmly about suicide does not put the idea in someone's head; it gives them permission to talk. Listen without judgement, stay with them, and help them connect with support. Look after yourself too, as supporting someone can be demanding. Managers and team leaders You do not need to be a counsellor, but you do need to know how to start the conversation and where to point people. Watch for changes in behaviour, performance or attendance, especially during restructures, conflict or personal upheaval. Make it known that asking for help will not count against anyone, and know your organisation's Employee Assistance Program and escalation steps. Organisations The data makes a clear case for prevention at work. Train a meaningful number of staff in Mental Health First Aid so that support is available across every team and shift. Identify and control psychosocial hazards such as high job demands, poor support, conflict and job insecurity, as required under WHS laws. Build clear pathways to early support, including counselling, and plan for how you would support staff after a suicide affects your workplace. How FME can help Focused Mental Education delivers accredited Mental Health First Aid training, including workplace programs, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander MHFA and our suicide prevention training, along with psychosocial hazard consultancy, counselling and NDIS supports Australia wide. To talk about training for your team or a psychosocial risk review, call (02) 8044 3365, email info@fme.com.au or visit fme.com.au. You can also explore more articles in our Knowledge Hub. Where to get support If this article has raised concerns for you or someone you know, support is available 24 hours a day. Call Lifeline on 13 11 14, the Suicide Call Back Service on 1300 659 467 or Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people can call 13YARN on 13 92 76 to speak with a First Nations crisis supporter. If life is in danger, call 000. Sources Australian Bureau of Statistics, Intentional self-harm (suicide) deaths, Causes of Death, Australia, 2025, released 27 October 2026. Life in Mind (Everymind), ABS Causes of Death 2025 suicide data, published 27 October 2026. Life in Mind (Everymind), Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities suicide data summary, ABS Causes of Death 2025, October 2026. Life in Mind (Everymind), State and Territory suicide data summary, ABS Causes of Death 2025, October 2026. Mindframe, Quick reference guide for communicating about suicide and self-harm data.

Half of Australian women are living with a mental health concern, almost one in four are in severe psychological distress, and Australia now records the highest measured rate of anorexia and bulimia of any country. Released in the last week of October, these findings point the same way: women's mental health needs earlier recognition, support that fits women's lives, and more people at home and at work who know how to start the conversation. At a glance 1 in 2 women report a mental health concern and almost 1 in 4 are in severe psychological distress, according to the Beyond the Surface 2026 survey of 9,000 women. Help seeking rose from 57% in 2025 to 66% in 2026, but 23% of women who did not find support helpful said there were not enough services tailored to their concern. Australia has the world's highest measured rate of anorexia and bulimia, at 1,026.5 per 100,000 people, according to a Global Burden of Disease study in JAMA Psychiatry. The female suicide rate rose to 6.0 deaths per 100,000 in 2025, up from 5.6 in 2024, and suicide was again the leading cause of premature death for women (ABS). Women in regional areas were 1.7 times as likely as women in cities to report suicidal thoughts or self harming behaviours. Half of Australian women report a mental health concern Women's Mental Health Australia released its Beyond the Surface 2026 report on 30 October. The organisation surveyed a nationally representative sample of 9,000 women aged 18 and over in April 2026, working with the University of New South Wales and the Centre for Sex and Gender Equity in Health and Medicine. The headline figure is stark and, according to the report, persistent: about one in two women are experiencing a mental health concern, and almost one in four are dealing with severe psychological distress. The report describes the severe distress rate as steady since 2022, so this is not a passing spike. Overall, 4% of women reported suicidal thoughts or self harming behaviours. That figure was much higher in some groups: 12% of women facing poverty or homelessness, 11% of LGBTQIA+ women, 10% of women with a disability and 9% of women aged 18 to 24. Women living outside the cities were 1.7 times as likely as metropolitan women to report these experiences, a reminder that distance and thinner services still shape outcomes. One of the report's sharper findings concerns physical health conditions that affect women specifically. Suicidal thoughts or self harm were reported by 13% of women with endometriosis, 12% with adenomyosis and 9% with pelvic floor disorders. Long waits for diagnosis, chronic pain and being dismissed by health services can all wear down a person's mental health over time. There is good news in the data. More women are reaching out, with help seeking rising from 57% in 2025 to 66% in 2026. Online counselling, community agencies and support groups all grew as sources of help. Still, 23% of women who did not find their support helpful said there simply were not enough services tailored to what they were going through. Chief Operating Officer Katrina Locandro said of the research: "We don't undertake it simply to describe the problem." Why it matters: Women are asking for help in greater numbers, which means the people around them, including partners, friends, managers and colleagues, are more likely than ever to be the first to hear about it. How that first conversation goes can decide whether someone keeps seeking help or gives up. For employers, the link between conditions such as endometriosis and mental health is a practical prompt to review leave, flexibility and how managers respond when a staff member discloses a chronic health issue. Eating disorders: Australia's rate is the highest measured A new analysis from the Global Burden of Disease study, published in JAMA Psychiatry and reported by the ABC on 29 October, found that global cases of anorexia and bulimia nervosa rose 71% between 1990 and 2023. About 18.1 million people worldwide were living with one of the two conditions in 2023, and Australia recorded the highest rate of any country, at 1,026.5 per 100,000 people. Females make up nearly 70% of cases worldwide, and about 41% of cases are in people aged 10 to 24. The researchers project numbers will keep growing through to 2050. The study's senior author, University of Queensland epidemiologist Damian Santomauro, described Australia's ranking as "surprising and concerning" and pointed to social media and body image pressures as possible drivers among young people. The researchers are careful about what the number means. Australian surveys use a different method from many other countries, which may account for part of the gap, and Butterfly Helpline clinical psychologist Sarah Cox noted that Australia may simply be "seeing the problem more clearly" because of stronger research. The figures also cover only anorexia and bulimia, leaving out binge eating disorder and other eating disorders, so the true burden is larger. Cox said more than 1.1 million Australians experience an eating disorder in a given year. Why it matters: Eating disorders are serious mental illnesses, and getting help early makes a real difference. Many people hide their symptoms for a long time, so families, teachers, coaches and workmates are often the ones who notice changes first. Knowing what to look for, and how to raise a concern without blame or comments about weight or appearance, is a skill that can be learned. If you are worried about someone, the Butterfly National Helpline is on 1800 33 4673. Suicide among women: what the latest ABS figures show The Australian Bureau of Statistics released its preliminary 2025 suicide data on 27 October. Most attention went to the overall total of 3,283 deaths and the fall in the male rate. The figures for women deserve a closer look. In 2025, 858 women died by suicide. The female age standardised rate rose to 6.0 deaths per 100,000 people, up from 5.6 in 2024. Women aged 55 to 59 had the highest age specific rate, at 9.0 deaths per 100,000, and women aged 40 to 44 accounted for the largest share of female suicide deaths, at 9.6%. Suicide was the leading cause of premature mortality for women, with 30,145 years of life lost. The ABS notes these figures are preliminary and can rise as coronial cases are finalised. Why it matters: Public conversation about suicide often focuses, rightly, on men, who account for nearly three quarters of deaths. But the rising female rate and the concentration among women in midlife show that suicide prevention needs to reach women in their 40s and 50s too: women juggling work, caring for children and ageing parents, menopause, relationship breakdown or financial strain. Asking directly and calmly about suicide does not put the idea in someone's head; it opens the door to help. Women's mental health: what it means for you Taken together, these reports describe a large group of women who are struggling, are increasingly willing to ask for help, and too often do not find support that fits. Closing that gap is not only a job for health services. It also depends on how well ordinary people respond. For individuals and families: Check in with the women in your life, especially if you notice withdrawal, changes in eating or sleep, ongoing exhaustion, or talk of feeling hopeless. Listen without judgement and help them take the next step, whether that is a GP, a counsellor or a helpline. If you are struggling yourself, reaching out is a sign of strength, and you can speak with a counsellor through FME's counselling service. For managers: You do not need to be a clinician, but you do need to know how to notice, ask and refer. Be alert to the impact of chronic health conditions, caring loads and menopause on wellbeing, and make it safe for staff to talk about flexibility. Standard Mental Health First Aid gives managers a practical action plan for these conversations, including how to ask about suicide. For organisations: Under WHS law, employers must manage psychosocial hazards such as high job demands, low support and poor workplace relationships. Look at whether your policies on leave, flexibility and return to work reflect the realities in this data. Our psychosocial hazards consultancy can help you assess risks and build a plan, and our workplace mental health training builds capability across your teams. For workplaces and community groups supporting young women, Youth Mental Health First Aid covers eating disorders, anxiety, depression and suicidal crises in adolescents. Talk to FME Focused Mental Education delivers accredited Mental Health First Aid training, psychosocial hazards consultancy, counselling and NDIS supports across Australia. To book training or talk through what your organisation needs, call (02) 8044 3365, email info@fme.com.au or visit our educational courses page. You can find more articles in the Knowledge Hub. If you need support now: call Lifeline on 13 11 14, the Suicide Call Back Service on 1300 659 467, Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636, or the Butterfly National Helpline on 1800 33 4673 for eating disorders and body image concerns. In an emergency, call 000. Sources Life in Mind, Women's Mental Health Australia releases Beyond the Surface 2026 report, 30 October 2026. Women's Mental Health Australia, Beyond the Surface 2026: Investigating the Mental Health Realities for Australian Women, 2026. ABC News, Australia has highest rates of anorexia and bulimia in world, study finds, 29 October 2026. Australian Bureau of Statistics, Intentional self-harm (suicide) deaths, 2025, 27 October 2026. Butterfly Foundation, National Helpline, accessed 2 November 2026.

Five pieces of Australian mental health research and policy released in the past fortnight point to the same lesson: people usually know when something is wrong, and they often ask for help more than once, but the systems around them are not always listening or counting. A new depression subtype linked to the body clock, women who contacted health services an average of seven times before postpartum psychosis was treated, young people losing hope about housing, missing data on suicide among children in care, and a critical parliamentary report on how the NDIS is run all landed in late October. Each one carries practical lessons for families, managers and organisations. At a glance: Depression and the body clock: about one in four Australians with severe, recurrent or persistent depression may have a "circadian" form of the illness, according to University of Sydney research. Postpartum psychosis: in a Flinders University study, women contacted health services an average of seven times before they received care. Young people and hope: almost half (47 per cent) of young people aged 14 to 19 worry they will not be able to afford a safe place to live, and those with low hope are five times more likely to experience high psychological distress. Suicide data gaps: young people in out-of-home care are more than three times as likely to attempt suicide, yet several states and territories could not or would not provide data, and a federal inquiry is examining the link between domestic, family and sexual violence and suicide. NDIS accountability: a federal parliamentary committee found the agencies responsible for the NDIS were not always performing their functions effectively and made 14 recommendations. Depression and the body clock: a possible new subtype Researchers at the University of Sydney's Brain and Mind Centre have proposed that a substantial share of people with serious depression may have a form of the illness tied to the body's 24 hour internal clock. The study, published in the British Journal of Psychiatry and reported by ABC News on 21 October 2026, analysed clinical and genetic data from 11,380 Australians living with severe, recurrent or persistent depression. Of those, 2,604 people, or about one in four, met the researchers' criteria for what they call circadian depression. People were classed this way if they reported three or more of six features: waking very tired, being a night owl, a seasonal pattern to their illness, sleeping later, sleeping more when depressed, and "social jet lag", a big gap between sleep times on workdays and days off. Those in this group reported earlier onset, more complex illness and more suicidality, and most were women. The researchers suggest they may respond less well to standard antidepressants and could benefit from approaches that target the body clock, such as light therapy, melatonin and changes to daily routine. Independent experts quoted by the ABC urged caution: circadian depression is not a separate diagnosis, the findings rely partly on self report, and the evidence is not yet strong enough to change clinical practice. Why it matters: sleep and daily rhythm are among the first things to change when someone's mental health is slipping, and they are visible to the people around them. A colleague who is suddenly arriving exhausted, or a teenager whose sleep has shifted dramatically, may be showing an early sign worth a gentle conversation. It is also a reminder that depression is not one condition with one treatment. If something is not working, it is reasonable to go back to a GP and ask about other options. Postpartum psychosis: women asked for help, again and again Postpartum psychosis is a psychiatric emergency that can develop suddenly in the days or weeks after birth. It affects one to two in every 1,000 new mothers. A Flinders University study led by provisional psychologist Donna McMahon, published in the Australian Journal of Advanced Nursing and reported by the ABC on 21 October, interviewed 15 Australian women who had been diagnosed with the condition. The findings challenge the idea that women hide their symptoms. Every participant recognised that something felt wrong and actively sought help. On average they contacted health services seven times before receiving care, with one woman making 27 contacts. More than half had never been diagnosed with a mental health condition before. Many described an early, vague but persistent feeling that something was not right, which was often put down to the baby blues or the normal exhaustion of new parenthood. The researchers point to a critical window for early detection and call for clinicians to listen more carefully when women and their families keep raising concerns. Why it matters: partners, parents and friends are often the first to notice a sudden change in a new mother. If someone seems confused, unusually agitated, is not sleeping even when the baby sleeps, or says things that do not make sense, treat it as urgent. Trust the feeling that something is wrong, keep asking until you are heard, and call 000 if anyone is at risk. Mental Health First Aid training covers how to recognise and respond to psychosis, including when a situation needs emergency care. Young people, housing stress and hope A new report from Orygen, Making hope possible, released on 27 October, draws on a national survey of 17,155 young people aged 14 to 19. Almost 60 per cent felt positive about their future, but that leaves about two in five who did not. Hope was much lower among gender diverse young people (29 per cent felt positive), those not in education or employment (40 per cent), young people with a disability (43 per cent) and those with a mental health condition (43 per cent). Housing stood out. Almost half (47 per cent) were worried they would not be able to afford a safe place to live in the future. Young people with a less positive outlook and low confidence in handling practical challenges were five times more likely to experience high psychological distress and four times more likely to feel lonely all or most of the time. Lead author Associate Professor Kate Filia linked these worries to rising rates of mental ill health among young people. The report recommends an explicit intergenerational lens on policy, more support for the move from school to further study or work, and targeted help for young people facing the biggest barriers, including raising Youth Allowance and prioritising housing for young people at risk of homelessness. On 26 October, Federal Health Minister Mark Butler also launched Orygen's designation as the world's first World Health Organization Collaborating Centre dedicated to young people's mental health. Why it matters: hopelessness is not a character flaw; it is often a reasonable response to real pressures, and it is a known risk factor for distress. Parents, teachers, coaches and employers of young staff can help by taking these worries seriously, helping young people break big problems into manageable steps, and keeping them connected. Youth Mental Health First Aid gives adults the skills to start that conversation and to recognise when a young person needs more support. Suicide prevention: the gaps in what we count Two stories this fortnight highlighted how much Australia still does not know about suicide among some of its most vulnerable people. On 23 October the ABC reported that children in out-of-home care are more than three times as likely to attempt suicide as other young people, according to a review by the Australian Catholic University. When the ABC asked every state and territory for data, the picture was patchy. NSW reported eight suicides of children in out-of-home care between 2012 and 2022. Queensland reported 12 suicides of children under a child protection order between 2014 and 2025. In Victoria, the Commission for Children and Young People recorded 45 suicide deaths of children known to child protection since July 2017, and 800 self-harm incidents and 115 suicide attempts among children in care in the last financial year. Tasmania, the ACT and South Australia declined to provide figures, citing the risk of identifying families. National Commissioner for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children and Young People Sue-Anne Hunter described the data collection as "fragmented", and advocates called for national reporting and faster mental health screening when children enter care. On 29 October the ABC reported on the federal parliamentary inquiry into the relationship between domestic, family and sexual violence and suicide. The inquiry has received more than 230 submissions, held its latest public hearing on 16 October and expects to table its report in early 2027. Suicide Prevention Australia stressed the urgent need for better data, and the Australian Bureau of Statistics noted that its national mortality database does not have a specific framework for coding family and domestic violence, though it said it could look at capturing this more systematically. Why it matters: what is not counted is easily overlooked in funding and planning. For everyone else, the lesson is simpler: trauma, family violence and disrupted care are serious risk factors, and the people who carry them are often among us at work, at school and in our communities. Asking directly about suicide does not put the idea in someone's head; it opens the door to help. Our suicide prevention resources explain how to have that conversation, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Mental Health First Aid supports culturally safe responses. The NDIS under the microscope On 29 October the Joint Committee of Public Accounts and Audit tabled Report 519, its inquiry into the administration of the National Disability Insurance Scheme. The committee examined how the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) manages financial sustainability risks and compliance with claim requirements, how the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission performs as a regulator, and the policy advice provided by the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing. It found the agencies were not always performing these functions effectively and made 14 recommendations to the NDIA Board, the NDIA and the NDIS Commission. While the NDIS will continue to grow, it is imperative that the long-term sustainability is not put at risk," committee chair Josh Burns MP said. Why it matters: for people living with psychosocial disability and their families, changes to how the scheme is administered can affect plans, reviews and day to day supports. This report adds to a period of considerable change and uncertainty, including the ongoing negotiations over community mental health supports outside the NDIS. If you are unsure how changes might affect you or someone you support, our NDIS services and psychosocial support services team can help you understand your options. Mental health research Australia: what it means for you Read together, this fortnight's mental health research in Australia sends a consistent message: early signs are usually there, and the people closest to the person are often the first to see them. For individuals and families: notice changes in sleep, mood and behaviour, especially after major life events such as the birth of a baby. If you feel something is wrong, keep asking for help until you get it. With young people, take worries about money, housing and the future seriously and help them stay connected. For managers and team leaders: exhaustion, withdrawal and changes in routine can be early signs of depression. Young workers may be carrying significant financial and housing stress. A private, supportive conversation and a clear path to help can prevent a struggle from becoming a crisis. For organisations: build the capability to notice and respond early. Trained Mental Health First Aiders, combined with a sound approach to managing psychosocial hazards at work, help people get support sooner and reduce harm. Our workplace training options and Standard Mental Health First Aid course can be tailored to your team. Focused Mental Education delivers accredited Mental Health First Aid courses, psychosocial hazards consultancy, counselling and NDIS supports across Australia. Get in touch, call (02) 8044 3365 or email info@fme.com.au to talk about what would help your team or community. If this article has raised concerns for you or someone you know, support is available 24 hours a day from Lifeline on 13 11 14, the Suicide Call Back Service on 1300 659 467 or Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636. In an emergency, call 000. Sources ABC News, research on circadian depression (University of Sydney Brain and Mind Centre), 21 October 2026 ABC News, Flinders University research on postpartum psychosis, 21 October 2026 Orygen, Almost half of young people doubt they will be able to afford a safe place to live: new report, 27 October 2026 Orygen, WHO Collaborating Centre for Young People's Mental Health launch, 26 October 2026 ABC News, Advocates call for greater transparency on youth suicides in out-of-home care, 23 October 2026 ABC News, inquiry into the relationship between domestic violence and suicide, 29 October 2026 Joint Committee of Public Accounts and Audit, Audit committee tables report into administration of the NDIS, 29 October 2026

October 2026 has been one of the busiest months for mental health news in Australia in years. New national suicide figures, a stalled national funding agreement, a record crackdown on psychological hazards at work and fresh data on burnout all landed within a few weeks of each other. If you have not had time to follow it all, this update brings the most important developments together in one place and explains what they mean for individuals, families and workplaces. At a glance: Suicide remains the leading cause of premature death in Australia, and the number of children lost to suicide rose sharply in 2025. Governments have not yet agreed on the next national mental health funding deal, leaving community support for hundreds of thousands of people uncertain beyond June 2027. Psychological injury at work keeps climbing, and regulators are responding with more inspectors and their largest compliance operations yet. Burnout and loneliness are widespread, with young Australians and insecure workers hit hardest. New national data: suicide in Australia in 2025 On 27 October 2026 the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) released its annual data on causes of death, including intentional self-harm. In 2025, 3,283 deaths were initially coded as suicide, compared with 3,326 in 2024. The ABS notes this figure is preliminary and may rise as coronial investigations are finalised. The age-standardised rate was 11.6 per 100,000 people, down slightly from 11.9 in 2024. Men accounted for nearly three in four suicide deaths (2,425, or 73.9 per cent). The male rate fell from 18.4 to 17.3 per 100,000. The female rate rose from 5.6 to 6.0 per 100,000. 100 children aged 5 to 17 died by suicide in 2025, up from 70 in 2024. Suicide accounted for 21.1 per cent of all child deaths. Suicide was again the leading cause of premature death, accounting for 108,674 years of potential life lost. Psychosocial risk factors, such as relationship breakdown, financial stress or work problems, were present in 72.4 per cent of deaths. Mood disorders were the most common risk factor, present in 35.8 per cent. Why it matters: behind every number is a person, and a family, workplace and community left grieving. The rise in child deaths is especially confronting. The high share of deaths involving psychosocial risk factors is a reminder that many of the pressures people face are visible to those around them. Knowing the warning signs and feeling confident to ask someone directly how they are going can make a real difference, which is exactly what Mental Health First Aid training teaches. A national funding stalemate Federal, state and territory Mental Health Ministers met on 23 October 2026 to negotiate the next National Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Agreement. They did not reach agreement, and decisions were deferred to the joint Health and Mental Health Ministers' meeting in December. The Mental Health Coordinating Council (MHCC) warned on 28 October that delays to the agreement, and to the next phase of psychosocial foundational supports outside the NDIS, could leave more than half a million Australians without essential community-based mental health support. Funding certainty under the current arrangements ends after 30 June 2027. “The NDIS is changing, yet we still do not have a clear pathway.” Dr Evelyne Tadros, CEO, Mental Health Coordinating Council The pressure is especially visible in New South Wales. More than 700 pages of internal NSW Health papers, released on 8 October under a parliamentary order, estimated that public mental health services are short between $550 and $600 million a year for frontline staff. A further $187 million a year would be needed to double investment in community-managed psychosocial supports. About 80 per cent of people in NSW who need psychosocial support, roughly 166,000 people, are currently missing out. Why it matters: when community and early intervention services are under-funded, people tend to reach help later, often in crisis, when care is more intensive and more costly for everyone. For people living with psychosocial disability, the uncertainty about where support will sit as the NDIS changes is a real worry. If you or someone you care for is navigating these changes, our NDIS services team can help you understand your options. Psychological injury at work keeps rising Workplace data released during National Safe Work Month paints a clear picture: mental health is now one of the most serious and costly workplace safety issues in Australia. The national picture Safe Work Australia's Key Work Health and Safety Statistics Australia 2026 report, released in mid-October, found that: There were 17,900 serious mental health claims in 2024 to 2025 (preliminary data), making up 12.2 per cent of all serious claims. Mental health claims have risen 169 per cent since 2014 to 2015. A typical mental health claim in 2023 to 2024 meant a median of 34.8 weeks off work and $68,600 in compensation. The leading causes were workplace harassment or bullying (5,400 claims) and work pressure (4,500 claims). “The data is confronting, but it also tells us where action is needed.” Marie Boland, CEO, Safe Work Australia Queensland: mental injury claims more than double ABC News reported on 10 October that WorkCover Queensland accepted 4,110 mental injury claims last financial year, a 108 per cent increase on 1,974 claims in 2021 to 2022. Only 71.4 per cent of workers with a mental injury returned to work, compared with 93.2 per cent of those with a physical injury, and mental injury claims averaged 123 paid days off compared with 47. NSW: the largest psychosocial compliance operation yet On 9 October, to coincide with World Mental Health Day, SafeWork NSW announced a six-week compliance operation focused on psychosocial hazards, its largest to date. Key points for employers: SafeWork NSW added 20 psychosocial-focused inspectors this year. An earlier program in May and June visited more than 200 workplaces and issued more than 80 improvement notices. Inspectors are now returning to check those notices have been addressed. 20.5 per cent of all requests for service to SafeWork NSW now involve psychosocial harm, led by construction, education and training, healthcare and social assistance, and retail. Since 1 July 2026, businesses must either follow the relevant codes of practice, including the Code of Practice: Managing psychosocial hazards at work, or manage risks in a way that is equally or more effective. Why it matters: psychosocial hazards such as high job demands, poor support, bullying and harassment are now treated with the same seriousness as physical hazards, and regulators are actively checking. Employers need to identify these hazards, consult workers, put controls in place and review them. Our psychosocial hazards consultancy helps organisations do this practically, and Standard Mental Health First Aid gives managers and staff the skills to notice when a colleague is struggling and respond early. Burnout and disconnection Two releases this month showed how many Australians are running on empty. A survey reported by ABC News on 19 October found more than one in three Australian workers report burnout. Workers who felt insecure in their jobs were far more likely to be burnt out (68 per cent) than those who felt very secure (20 per cent). Researchers noted the survey was relatively small, at 999 respondents, but the pattern is consistent with wider evidence. Ahead of World Mental Health Day, Mental Health Australia released research showing one in five Gen Z Australians (20 per cent) have no friends or family they can count on for support, compared with 13 per cent of Gen X and 8 per cent of Baby Boomers. Almost half of all respondents (47 per cent) feel less connected than they did ten years ago. This year's Mental Health Month theme, Together We Thrive, is a direct response to that sense of disconnection. Why it matters: connection protects mental health. Workplaces, schools, sporting clubs and families all play a part in making sure people, especially young people, have someone they can turn to. Youth Mental Health First Aid equips the adults in a young person's life to start that conversation. Research to watch On 27 October, the Black Dog Institute announced an Australian-first clinical trial combining ketamine with exposure therapy for emergency service workers living with persistent post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression that has not responded to other treatment. The trial was announced at the National Emergency Worker Mental Health Roundtable in Canberra, alongside a separate trial of an AI-supported chatbot, with recruitment for both expected to begin in 2027. Emergency workers face repeated exposure to traumatic events, and new treatment options for this group are welcome. In parliament: a higher bar for psychological injury claims in Queensland On 14 October 2026 the Queensland Government introduced the Industrial Relations and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2026. Among other changes, it would raise the test for workers' compensation claims for psychological injury. Currently, employment must be "a significant contributing factor" to the injury. Under the Bill, employment would need to be "the major significant contributing factor". Legal and union groups have warned this would make psychological injury claims harder to have accepted. The Bill has been referred to a parliamentary committee for inquiry. Why it matters: NSW tightened its own psychological injury rules from 1 July 2026, and Queensland is now following a similar path. As compensation becomes harder to access, prevention matters even more. The most effective protection for workers and employers alike is a workplace that manages psychosocial risks well and responds early when someone is struggling. Mental health news Australia: what it means for you For individuals and families: check in on the people around you, particularly young people and anyone going through job loss, relationship breakdown or financial stress. Asking directly and listening without judgement is a powerful first step. For managers and team leaders: burnout, bullying and work pressure are the leading drivers of psychological injury claims. Early, supportive conversations can prevent months of time off work. For organisations: psychosocial risk management is a legal duty, and regulators are checking. Combine a documented risk management process with trained Mental Health First Aiders across your workforce. Our workplace training options can be tailored to your team. Focused Mental Education delivers accredited Mental Health First Aid courses, psychosocial hazards consultancy and NDIS supports across Australia. Get in touch, call (02) 8044 3365 or email info@fme.com.au to talk about what would help your team or community. If this article has raised concerns for you or someone you know, support is available 24 hours a day from Lifeline on 13 11 14, the Suicide Call Back Service on 1300 659 467 or Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636. In an emergency, call 000. Sources Australian Bureau of Statistics, Intentional self-harm (suicide) deaths, 2025, 27 October 2026 Mental Health Coordinating Council, Deadlock on mental health agreements risk leaving 500,000 Australians without support, 28 October 2026 Mental Health Coordinating Council, Internal NSW Health papers expose $787m mental health funding gap, 14 October 2026 SafeWork NSW, SafeWork NSW to conduct largest-ever compliance operation focused on psychosocial hazards, 9 October 2026 HR Director (HCA Magazine), reporting on Safe Work Australia's Key Work Health and Safety Statistics Australia 2026, 13 October 2026 ABC News, Mental health WorkCover claims in Queensland double in five years, 10 October 2026 ABC News, Survey suggests one-third of us are burnt out, 19 October 2026 Mental Health Australia, One in five Gen Zs have nobody to turn to for support, 8 October 2026 Queensland Legislation, Industrial Relations and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2026, introduced 14 October 2026 Black Dog Institute announcement via News-Medical, 27 October 2026

The Real Cost of Not Investing in Mental Health First Aid Training in Australia (2026 Guide) Most businesses researching Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) training start with the same question: how much does it cost? It's a reasonable place to start, but it's the wrong question to stop at. Course fees are a known, one off, budgetable number. What's far harder to see, and far more expensive, is the cost of doing nothing. Poor mental health at work isn't a hypothetical risk that training might prevent. It's already happening, and it already has a price tag: in lost productivity, in workers' compensation claims, in staff turnover, in regulatory exposure, and in the everyday cost of people struggling through a workday because no one around them recognised the signs or knew what to say. Government inquiries, workplace regulators and independent economic analysis have all put real numbers on that cost, and this guide walks through what they actually say. We'll cover what mental ill-health costs the Australian economy overall, what it specifically costs employers through absenteeism, presenteeism and compensation claims, what the legal and compliance exposure looks like under current WHS psychosocial hazard laws, what it costs individuals and teams beyond the balance sheet, and what the research says training actually changes. We'll also put the cost of training itself into proportion against all of that, without naming or pricing individual providers, since actual course fees vary by format, group size, location and provider in ways a general article can't fairly represent. If you want a specific quote, the right move is to ask a provider directly. One more thing worth saying upfront: every figure in this article comes from a named government inquiry, a national workplace safety regulator, or peer-reviewed research, not from marketing material, and not from us. We've included the full source list at the end precisely so you can check the numbers yourself, or cite them directly if you're the one who has to make this case to a manager, a board, or a budget committee. What Poor Mental Health Already Costs Australia Every Year The most authoritative Australian source on this is the Productivity Commission's Inquiry into Mental Health, a two year national inquiry whose final report was released in November 2020. It remains the most comprehensive costing exercise done on this issue in Australia, and its headline figures are still the reference point used by government mental health portals today. The Commission split the cost into two categories. The first is the direct, measurable economic cost: healthcare spending, disability support, informal care provided by family and friends, lost taxation revenue, and workplace absenteeism and presenteeism. It put this at up to about $70 billion a year (more precisely, a range of $42.9 to $69.8 billion, depending on the specific costs included). The second, larger category is harder to see on a balance sheet: the cost of diminished quality of life and premature death for people living with mental illness, including those who die by suicide. The Commission valued this at $150.8 billion a year. Add the two together and the Commission's own combined estimate lands at roughly $200 to $220 billion a year, a figure it stated directly in its report overview. Cost Category Annual Cost to Australia Source Direct economic costs (healthcare, disability support, informal care, lost tax revenue, absenteeism/presenteeism) $42.9 to $69.8 billion Productivity Commission, Mental Health Inquiry Report, 2020 Diminished quality of life and premature death (incl. suicide) $150.8 billion Productivity Commission, Mental Health Inquiry Report, 2020 Combined total (Commission's own headline estimate) About $200 to $220 billion Productivity Commission, Mental Health Inquiry Report, 2020 Figures are the Productivity Commission's own reported estimates from its November 2020 final report (an earlier October 2019 draft report used lower, superseded figures; the numbers above are the ones to cite). To put a sense of scale on that: the Commission separately estimated that the reforms it recommended could unlock quality of life gains worth up to $18 billion a year, plus up to a further $1.3 billion a year from people with mental illness being able to participate more fully in the workforce. In other words, even a partial improvement in how Australia manages mental health, including at the workplace level, is worth billions, not thousands, in the Commission's own modelling. It's also worth noting how this figure has moved over time, because it tells its own story. An earlier draft version of the same inquiry, released in October 2019, used lower figures. By the time the final report was handed down in 2020, the costed impact had grown, not because the definition changed dramatically, but because the underlying problem had continued to compound. As the next section shows, the most recent workplace claims data suggests that trend hasn't reversed since. What It Costs Employers, Specifically The economy wide numbers above are useful context, but as a business owner or manager you're really asking a narrower question: what does this cost businesses like mine? The most cited Australian answer comes from a 2014 report PwC Australia prepared for beyondblue and the National Mental Health Commission's Mentally Healthy Workplace Alliance, titled Creating a mentally healthy workplace: Return on investment analysis. It's still the primary reference the Australian Government's own Mentally Healthy Workplaces portal points to today, more than a decade on. That tells you two things: the underlying problem hasn't gone away, and no more recent Australian study has supplanted it with fresh national modelling. The report broke the national cost of poor workplace mental health into three components: $4.7 billion a year in absenteeism (people away from work because of mental ill-health), $6.1 billion a year in presenteeism (people at work but functioning well below capacity because of it), and $146 million a year in compensation claims. Added together, that's commonly cited as more than $10.9 billion a year in costs to Australian workplaces, and that figure is now over a decade old, so it almost certainly understates the current cost given claim volumes have continued to rise since, as the next section shows. The anatomy of a single psychological injury claim National workplace safety data adds a sharper, more recent picture of what a single incident can cost. Safe Work Australia's most recent Key Work Health and Safety Statistics report found that mental health conditions accounted for 12.0% of all serious workers' compensation claims in 2023-24 (a preliminary figure), representing 17,600 claims, a 14.7% increase in claim numbers on the year before, and a 161.1% increase over the past decade. That's not a stable, background level risk. It's the fastest growing category of serious claim in the country. The cost per claim is where the comparison becomes stark. Using the most recent finalised year available (2022-23, since the newest year's claims are still being paid out and finalised), the median compensation paid for a mental health related claim was $67,400, against $16,300 for the median claim across all injury and disease types, more than four times higher. Time off work follows the same pattern: the median mental health claim in 2022-23 involved 35.7 working weeks away from the job, compared with 7.4 working weeks for all claims combined, almost five times longer. The most common causes of mental stress claims were workplace harassment or bullying (33.2%), work pressure (24.2%), and exposure to violence and harassment (15.7%). Measure Mental Health Claims All Injury/Disease Claims Share of serious claims (2023-24, preliminary) 12.0% (up 14.7% on the year before) n/a Median compensation paid per claim (2022-23) $67,400 $16,300 Median time off work per claim (2022-23) 35.7 working weeks 7.4 working weeks Source: Safe Work Australia, Key Work Health and Safety Statistics Australia 2025. Figures for claim share are 2023-24 (preliminary); compensation and time lost figures are 2022-23, the most recent year with sufficiently finalised claims data. Put plainly: one uncontested psychological injury claim can cost a business roughly four times what a typical claim costs, and take almost five times as long to resolve, before accounting for recruitment and retraining costs to cover the role, the strain on the rest of the team, or any reputational impact. Why the ROI maths favours prevention This is the context behind the PwC report's other well known figure: a positive return on investment of 2.3 times the original input, meaning that for every dollar an employer spends on effective mental health action, the modelling found an average $2.30 gain back through reduced absenteeism, presenteeism and claims. That figure was modelled on roughly a one third reduction in those costs from taking meaningful action. It's an average across a range of interventions, not a guarantee tied to any single program, and no more recent Australian national study has re-run that modelling with current figures. Still, given that claim volumes and claim costs have both risen sharply since 2014, as the Safe Work Australia data above shows, there's little reason to think the underlying case for prevention has weakened. It's worth pausing on presenteeism specifically, because it's the least visible of the three costs and often the largest in dollar terms. Absenteeism shows up on a roster: someone isn't there, and someone notices. Presenteeism doesn't. It's the employee who's physically at their desk but operating well under their usual capacity: missed details, slower decisions, a shorter fuse in meetings, work that needs redoing. Nobody files a report for it, no claim gets lodged, and it's rarely captured in performance reviews as what it actually is. That's exactly why it's the harder cost to manage without deliberately building the capability to notice it. A manager or colleague who's been trained to recognise early warning signs is often the only real control measure standing between presenteeism and it becoming an absence, or a claim. The Legal and Compliance Risk of Doing Nothing Beyond the direct financial cost, there's a compliance dimension that's become considerably sharper in the last few years. Psychosocial hazards, things like excessive workload, workplace bullying, harassment, poor support and traumatic exposure, are now explicitly covered under work health and safety (WHS) law in the same way physical hazards are. Safe Work Australia's model Code of Practice: Managing psychosocial hazards at work (August 2022) and SafeWork NSW's equivalent state Code of Practice both set out a business's duty to identify psychosocial hazards, assess the risk they pose, and implement control measures: consultation, workload management, clear reporting pathways, training and support programs among them. What regulators actually expect It's worth being precise here rather than overselling the point: the Codes of Practice don't name “trained Mental Health First Aiders” as a specific, mandatory control measure. What they do require is that a business (a “person conducting a business or undertaking,” or PCBU) actively manages psychosocial risk through a genuine process: identifying hazards, consulting workers, and putting proportionate controls in place. Building internal capability to recognise distress early and respond appropriately is one of the practical ways businesses meet that broader duty, alongside things like workload monitoring, clear escalation pathways and access to support services. Framed accurately, training is a sensible, evidence-informed control measure within that system, not a legal box you can tick in isolation. The Codes of Practice follow the same general risk management logic used across all of WHS law: identify the hazard, assess the risk it poses, implement controls, and review whether those controls are actually working, then repeat, because psychosocial risk changes as a business grows, restructures, or goes through a difficult period. Treating this as a one off exercise (a single risk assessment, a single training session, filed away and not revisited) tends to satisfy the letter of the requirement poorly and the spirit of it not at all. A regulator reviewing your approach after an incident will be looking for evidence of that ongoing cycle, not a single historical action. The stakes for getting this wrong are not trivial. Under WHS penalty amounts effective from 1 July 2025, NSW's maximum penalties range from $748,492 for a body corporate on a general (Category 3) duty breach, up to $2,235,363 for a Category 2 breach that exposes workers to a risk of death or serious injury, and as high as $11,150,183 for the most serious Category 1 (reckless or grossly negligent) breaches, with individual officers facing penalties up to $2,318,844 and up to 10 years' imprisonment in the worst cases. Industrial manslaughter, in force since September 2024, carries penalties up to $20 million for a body corporate. These figures are indexed annually and will move again, so check the current amounts on the SafeWork NSW website rather than treating them as fixed. The scale of exposure is the point: psychosocial risk is now enforced in the same bracket as physical safety failures, not treated as a lesser concern. What enforcement looks like in practice This isn't just a law sitting on the books. SafeWork NSW announced in March 2026 that it had deployed 20 specialist psychosocial health inspectors to support workers and businesses on psychosocial risk. Separately, SafeWork NSW has already tested this framework through enforcement action: an improvement notice issued to the NSW Department of Education over psychosocial risk, stemming from a 2023 complaint, was upheld on review in 2026. Together, these show a regulator actively building specialist capacity and willing to issue and defend enforcement action in this area, not treating psychosocial risk as a lower priority than physical safety. For a business owner, the practical takeaway isn't to panic about penalty figures, it's to be able to demonstrate a genuine process if a regulator ever asks. That means being able to show how psychosocial hazards were identified in your workplace, how workers were consulted, what control measures were actually put in place, and how those measures are reviewed and updated over time. A one off training session with no broader risk management process behind it wouldn't satisfy that standard on its own, but a documented process that includes training as one of several deliberate controls is a materially stronger position than having nothing in writing at all. Why This Matters Even More in Mental Health, Disability and Community Services The figures above are averages across the whole Australian economy, but risk isn't evenly distributed across industries. Roles that involve sustained emotional labour, exposure to other people's trauma or crisis, high caseloads, and genuine care about outcomes for vulnerable people carry a different psychosocial load than a typical office role. That description covers a large part of the mental health, disability and community services sector, including NDIS support work, counselling, allied health and frontline case management. Vicarious trauma, compassion fatigue and burnout are recognised occupational risks in these fields specifically because the work itself is the exposure, not an occasional workplace incident, but a cumulative one. For organisations operating in this space, the general workplace case above isn't a distant statistic to acknowledge and move past, it's a closer description of the actual working environment than it would be for a typical desk based industry. That has two practical implications. First, the psychosocial hazard identification and control measure process the Codes of Practice require isn't a generic compliance exercise here; it needs to genuinely account for the emotional demands specific to care and support work. Second, the people best placed to notice a colleague struggling, and to have that first supportive conversation before it becomes a claim, a resignation, or a crisis, are usually other people doing similar work, which is exactly the capability Mental Health First Aid training is built to develop. The Cost to Individuals and Teams, Not Just to a Balance Sheet It's easy for figures this large to feel abstract, so it's worth translating them back to what they actually represent: people. The Productivity Commission's report breaks its economic modelling down further, and two components are directly about people staying in or leaving the workforce. Lower workforce participation linked to mental ill-health was costed at $12.2 to $22.5 billion a year: people who want to work, or want to work more, but can't sustain it without support. Informal care, the unpaid time family members and friends spend supporting someone through a mental health crisis, often instead of their own paid work, was costed separately at $15.3 billion a year. For a team, this shows up in ways that don't always get labelled correctly: the colleague who's quietly struggling and starts making uncharacteristic mistakes, the manager who avoids a difficult conversation because they don't know what to say and watches the situation get worse, the good employee who resigns rather than raise what's actually going on. None of that appears as a single line item, but it's the everyday texture of the national figures above. Stigma is a large part of why it goes unaddressed. People are often reluctant to disclose a mental health difficulty at work, or don't recognise the early warning signs in themselves or others, until a situation has already escalated to crisis point. There's also a compounding effect worth naming: unmanaged psychosocial risk doesn't stay contained to the person experiencing it. A team member covering for a colleague's extended absence carries extra load, which raises their own risk. A manager who has watched one difficult situation handled badly becomes more anxious about the next one, and more likely to avoid it too. Left long enough, this pattern doesn't just cost the business through one claim, it shapes the culture, and cultures that avoid difficult conversations tend to keep generating the same problem. Does Training Actually Change Any of This? What the Evidence Shows It's a fair question, and one worth answering with real evidence rather than assumption. MHFA Australia, the licensing body for the accredited Mental Health First Aid program, maintains a public research and evaluation register of the peer-reviewed studies behind the program, spanning workplace, education, university and community settings. One of the more directly relevant Australian evaluations, published in BMC Psychology by Bond, Jorm, Kitchener and Reavley (2015), assessed MHFA training delivered to Australian medical and nursing students across both face-to-face and online formats. It found statistically significant improvements in participants' mental health knowledge, their confidence in their ability to help someone experiencing a mental health problem, and their stated intentions to actually provide that help, alongside a measurable reduction in stigmatising attitudes and desire for social distance from people with mental illness. 91% of participants in both delivery formats rated the course as well structured, and enjoyment ratings were high in both the online (85%) and face-to-face (88%) groups, which matters for whether people actually retain and use what they've learned. The broader pattern across the MHFA research base is consistent with that single study: trained participants become measurably more knowledgeable, more confident, and more willing to act. To check in with someone, have the conversation, and point them toward appropriate support, rather than staying silent because they don't know what to say or fear making things worse. That's precisely the gap sitting behind the absenteeism, presenteeism and claims figures above: problems that go unnoticed or unaddressed for longer than they need to, because no one nearby felt equipped to respond early. This is really the mechanism connecting the evidence to the dollar figures earlier in this article. A claim doesn't usually start as a claim, it starts as a person struggling, often for weeks or months, before it escalates into something that shows up in the compensation data. The 35.7-week median time off for a mental health claim reflects how far things had typically progressed by the point a claim was lodged. The genuine value of training isn't that it prevents every difficult situation, nothing does, it's that it shortens the gap between someone struggling and someone noticing and responding, and that gap is where a large share of the cost above actually accumulates. So, What Does Training Itself Cost, In Proportion? Given everything above, it's worth being upfront about the other side of the equation. Accredited MHFA course fees in Australia vary meaningfully by format, group size, location and provider. A short online refresher typically sits toward the lower end of a couple of hundred dollars, while a full face-to-face standard course for a group tends to sit higher, and pricing structures differ enough between providers (some bundle manuals and certificates, others charge separately; some offer not-for-profit or concession rates) that quoting a single national figure would be misleading. We'd rather you get an accurate, current quote for your actual situation than rely on a generic number here. What's genuinely useful is the comparison, not the exact figure: even a full round of training for a team is a modest, predictable, one off cost set against a median psychological injury claim of $67,400 and 35.7 weeks of lost work, or against WHS penalties that now run into the hundreds of thousands to millions of dollars for a serious breach. Training doesn't eliminate risk, nothing does, but as one control measure within a genuine psychosocial risk management approach, it's a proportionate response to a cost that, on the evidence above, is already being paid whether or not anyone chooses to act on it. It's also worth thinking about training cost as a per person, ongoing figure rather than a single headline number. Certification is generally valid for around three years before a shorter, cheaper refresher is needed, which means the real annual cost per trained staff member, averaged out, is considerably lower than the up front course fee suggests. Compared against a claim, a resignation, or a regulatory penalty, each of which can occur at any time and without warning, a known, budgetable, recurring training cost is a far easier number for a finance team to plan around. Making the Business Case Internally: A Simple Framework If you're the one who needs to justify this investment to a leadership team, budget committee, or board, these are the questions worth having answered. They map directly onto the cost categories covered above. Bringing genuine numbers to this conversation, even estimates drawn from your own claims history or staff turnover data, tends to land far better than a general appeal to wellbeing, not because leadership doesn't care about wellbeing, but because a concrete cost comparison is what actually gets a line item approved in a budget cycle. 1. What has psychological injury actually cost us, or a comparable business in our sector, in the last two to three years, in claims, lost time, recruitment, and management time spent on unresolved conflict or performance issues? 2. What would even one avoided claim be worth, given the median cost and time off figures above, and how does that compare to the cost of training our people? 3. Where are our psychosocial risk gaps right now, whether that's workload, unclear reporting pathways, or a manager cohort that's never been trained to recognise or respond to distress, and does our current approach genuinely address them, or just exist on paper? 4. If a WHS regulator reviewed our psychosocial risk management approach today, could we point to a real, documented process (hazard identification, consultation, proportionate controls), or would we be starting from a standing start? 5. Who in our organisation is actually equipped, right now, to notice early warning signs and have a supportive first conversation, and what happens if that person is on leave or has left? 6. What's a realistic, phased way to build this capability, starting with managers and team leads for instance, rather than trying to train everyone at once? Working through these six questions with real numbers from your own organisation, even rough ones, tends to make the business case for itself. The figures above are national averages, but the same pattern, a small, controllable training cost against a much larger, largely uncontrolled downside, holds at the individual business level too. Frequently Asked Questions How much does Mental Health First Aid training actually cost? It depends on format, group size, location and provider, and reputable providers price these differently enough that a single figure would be misleading. As a general guide, refresher courses tend to be the least expensive option and full standard courses the most, with blended online formats often sitting in between. The most reliable way to budget is to request current quotes from two or three accredited providers for your specific group size and format. Is mental health training legally required for Australian businesses? Not as a specific named requirement. No law mandates Mental Health First Aid training by name. What is legally required, under WHS law and the psychosocial hazards Codes of Practice, is that businesses actively identify and manage psychosocial risk, in consultation with workers, and put proportionate controls in place. Training is a widely used and evidence-supported way to help meet that broader duty, not a mandatory line item in isolation. What's the actual return on investment for workplace mental health initiatives? The most cited Australian figure comes from a 2014 PwC report prepared for beyondblue and the National Mental Health Commission, which modelled an average positive return of $2.30 for every $1 spent on effective workplace mental health action, based on reductions in absenteeism, presenteeism and compensation claims. It's an average from national modelling rather than a guarantee for any specific program, and it hasn't been re-modelled with more recent figures, but no more current Australian study has replaced it as the reference point. How long does Mental Health First Aid certification last? MHFA Australia states that accreditation is valid for around three years, after which a shorter refresher course brings it current again. Confirm the exact validity period with your training provider, as it can be updated. Does this apply to small businesses too, or just large employers? The WHS duty to manage psychosocial risk applies regardless of business size. There's no employee-count threshold that exempts a smaller business. In practice, smaller teams often have less redundancy to absorb one person's extended absence, which can make the cost of an unmanaged psychological injury claim proportionally more disruptive, not less. What's the difference between Mental Health First Aid Australia and Mental Health Foundation Australia? Mental Health First Aid Australia (mhfa.com.au) is the official body that licenses instructors and owns the accredited Mental Health First Aid course and certification. This is the program most workplace policies and industry bodies mean when they specify MHFA training. Mental Health Foundation Australia (mhfa.org.au) is a separate, unrelated charity that runs its own similarly named course. If your workplace, industry body or funding arrangement specifically requires the nationally recognised MHFA Australia program, it's worth confirming which organisation is actually accrediting the course you're booking. The names are close enough to cause genuine confusion. Where do these figures come from, and can I use them internally to build a business case? Yes. Every figure in this article is drawn from named government and research sources (the Productivity Commission, Safe Work Australia, SafeWork NSW, and peer-reviewed research), listed in full in the Sources section below, so you're welcome to cite them directly in an internal proposal or budget submission. Is this only relevant to large corporates, or does it apply to NDIS and community service providers too? If anything it's more relevant. As covered above, roles involving sustained care work, crisis exposure or high caseloads, much of the NDIS and community services sector, carry a higher psychosocial load than the economy wide averages these national figures are drawn from. The same legal duty to manage psychosocial risk applies regardless of whether you're a large registered NDIS provider or a small community organisation. What's the first practical step if we haven't done any of this yet? Start with an honest hazard identification exercise. Ask your team, formally and informally, where the pressure points actually are, rather than starting with a training purchase. That process will tell you whether training, workload changes, clearer reporting pathways, or some combination is the right first control measure for your specific situation, and it also creates the documented starting point a regulator would expect to see. Talk to Us About Building This Capability in Your Team If the case above resonates with where your organisation is at, the next step is a conversation, not a spreadsheet. Get in touch and we'll talk through your team's size, current risk profile and what a practical, phased rollout of Mental Health First Aid training could look like, with a proper quote based on your actual situation, not a generic number. We work with workplaces, community organisations and NDIS providers across Australia, and we're happy to start with a straightforward conversation about where your organisation is at right now. No obligation, and no pressure to buy a course you don't actually need yet. Call us on (02) 8044 3365 or email info@fme.com.au. Sources 1. Productivity Commission (2020). Mental Health, Inquiry Report No. 95. pc.gov.au/inquiries-and-research/mental-health/report 2. Productivity Commission (2021). Mental Health, overview and reform benefits. pc.gov.au/media-speeches/speeches/mental-health 3. PwC Australia, for beyondblue and the National Mental Health Commission (2014). Creating a mentally healthy workplace: Return on investment analysis. pwc.com.au/publications/pdf/beyondblue-workplace-roi-may14.pdf 4. Mentally Healthy Workplaces, Australian Government (accessed 2026). Creating a mentally healthy workplace: Return on investment analysis. beta.mentallyhealthyworkplaces.gov.au/explore-resources/creating-mentally-healthy-workplace-return-investment-analysis 5. Safe Work Australia (2025). Key Work Health and Safety Statistics Australia 2025. data.safeworkaustralia.gov.au 6. Safe Work Australia. Psychological health and safety, data insights. data.safeworkaustralia.gov.au/insights/hazards-and-injuries/psychological-health-and-safety-workplace 7. SafeWork NSW. Code of Practice: Managing psychosocial hazards at work. safework.nsw.gov.au/resource-library/codes-of-practice/codes-of-practice/managing-psychosocial-hazards-at-work 8. Safe Work Australia (2022). Model Code of Practice: Managing psychosocial hazards at work. safeworkaustralia.gov.au/doc/model-code-practice-managing-psychosocial-hazards-work 9. SafeWork NSW. Increases to penalty provisions from 1 July 2025. safework.nsw.gov.au/legal-obligations/legislation/accordians/increases-to-penalty-provisions-from-1-july-2025 10.SafeWork NSW. Work Health and Safety Amendment (Industrial Manslaughter) Act 2024. safework.nsw.gov.au/legal-obligations/legislation/accordians/work-health-and-safety-amendment-industrial-manslaughter-act-2024 11.SafeWork NSW (March 2026). New mental health safety inspectors now supporting workers and businesses. safework.nsw.gov.au/news/safework-media-releases/new-mental-health-safety-inspectors-now-supporting-workers-and-businesses 12.MHFA Australia. Research and evaluation. mhfa.com.au/about-us/research-and-evaluation/our-research 13.MHFA Australia. Refresher courses. mhfa.com.au/our-courses/courses-for-current-mhfaiders/refresher-courses 14.Bond, K.S., Jorm, A.F., Kitchener, B.A., and Reavley, N.J. (2015). Mental health first aid training for Australian medical and nursing students: an evaluation study. BMC Psychology, 3, 11. link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s40359-015-0069-0

Key Takeaways Mental Health First Aid training gives people practical skills to recognise distress, offer initial support and encourage appropriate professional help. It is early support, not therapy or a replacement for clinical care. Training covers signs of mental health challenges, crisis response and the ALGEE action plan. The skills can be useful for individuals, families, workplaces and community groups. Good support begins with listening without judgement and respecting personal circumstances. Certification involves choosing a suitable course, completing the learning and keeping skills current. What is Mental Health First Aid Training? Mental Health First Aid training is a form of mental health support training that helps people respond when someone may be experiencing a mental health problem, crisis or period of significant distress. Like physical first aid, it focuses on the first response rather than diagnosis or ongoing treatment. Participants learn how to approach a person, listen safely and connect them with suitable support. The aim is to replace uncertainty with calm, informed action. The Core Principles of Mental Health First Aid The central principle is that a first aider offers initial help until appropriate professional support is available or the immediate situation has settled. This may involve noticing changes in behaviour, asking open questions, listening carefully and helping the person identify next steps. It also means understanding personal boundaries: a trained first aider is not expected to diagnose, counsel or manage a crisis alone. Respect matters throughout the conversation. A person may not describe their experience in clinical terms, and their culture, age, identity, history and circumstances can shape what support feels safe. Compassionate, practical support creates room for honesty without labelling or making promises that cannot be kept. Mental Health First Aid should sit alongside emergency services, healthcare professionals and trusted support networks. If there is immediate danger, urgent professional assistance is the priority; training helps a person recognise that need and respond rather than taking on responsibility beyond their role. Who is Mental Health First Aid For? This training can suit adults who want to know how to help someone with mental health issues in everyday settings. Parents, partners, friends, teachers, managers, community leaders and health-adjacent professionals may all encounter someone who is struggling. It is also relevant to people who want a clearer understanding of mental wellbeing and a more confident way to start difficult conversations. The best course choice depends on who you support and the situations you are likely to encounter. Someone working with teenagers may need youth-focused learning, while a workplace leader may benefit from examples that reflect staff wellbeing, psychological safety and referral pathways. A culturally responsive option can also help participants approach support with greater respect. For a broad Australian introduction, the Standard Mental Health First Aid course is described as a 12-hour programme covering common mental health issues, first aid strategies and guidance towards professional help. The learning is designed to build mental health literacy and confidence, rather than turn participants into clinicians. What Does Mental Health First Aid Training Cover? A mental wellbeing course Australia participants can use in real life usually combines information, discussion and practice. The content helps learners understand what they may observe, how to begin a conversation and when a situation calls for urgent assistance. It also encourages people to consider their own wellbeing while supporting someone else. The exact structure varies by provider and audience, but the purpose remains consistent: offer a measured first response, reduce stigma and guide people towards appropriate care. Training may use scenarios so that participants can rehearse language before they need it in a real conversation. Recognising Signs and Symptoms of Mental Health Challenges Recognising mental health crises is not about collecting symptoms and assigning a diagnosis. It is about noticing meaningful changes, such as withdrawal, agitation, confusion, disrupted sleep, unusual communication or a loss of interest in ordinary activities. The learner considers what is happening for that person, asks rather than assumes, and stays alert to signs of immediate risk. A useful response is often simple and human. Introduce the concern gently, choose a private setting where possible and allow the person time to answer. Avoid minimising their experience or insisting that they explain everything at once. These habits support recognising mental health issues without turning a personal conversation into an interrogation. The ALGEE Action Plan ALGEE is a memorable framework for responding to someone who may need mental health first aid. It provides a sequence, but not a script that must be followed mechanically. A calm, respectful conversation still needs to reflect the person, the context and the level of risk. Training commonly explores these five actions: Approach the person, assess and assist with any crisis Listen and communicate non-judgementally Give support and information Encourage the person to get appropriate professional help Encourage other supports The framework is most useful when it guides attention rather than replaces judgement. In practice, a person may need immediate safety support before any longer conversation, or they may be ready to discuss professional care after being heard. The action plan helps the first aider keep both needs in view. Common Mental Health Conditions Addressed Mental Health First Aid courses may discuss common experiences such as depression, anxiety, panic, psychosis, eating disorders, substance use challenges and suicidal thoughts, depending on the course and audience. The emphasis is on recognising possible signs, responding safely and connecting the person with appropriate help. Content should never be used to label a friend, colleague or family member from a distance. The boundaries are especially important in conversations about suicide, self-harm or severe distress. A first aider should ask direct, caring questions when risk may be present, take disclosures seriously and seek urgent assistance when needed. Specialist learning, such as Conversations About Suicide, can provide additional practice for this topic, while a full Mental Health First Aid course offers broader coverage. The following distinction can help learners understand the role of training: Training focus What it helps a learner do What it does not replace Recognition Notice possible changes and signs of distress A clinical assessment or diagnosis Conversation Approach, listen and respond respectfully Therapy or counselling Crisis response Identify urgent risk and seek appropriate help Emergency or medical treatment Referral Encourage professional and community support A clinician’s care plan This keeps first aid for psychological distress in its proper place: an informed, compassionate first response that supports a person until more suitable care is available. Benefits of Mental Health First Aid Training The value of training is not limited to remembering a framework. It can make mental health conversations feel less intimidating and help people recognise when silence, avoidance or guesswork may be causing harm. With practice, participants can become more comfortable offering support while still respecting privacy, choice and boundaries. The benefits are strongest when training is part of a wider culture of care. A course cannot solve every mental health challenge, but it can give people a common language for responding and encourage earlier, more appropriate support. For Individuals For an individual, training can build confidence in starting a conversation and staying present when someone shares something difficult. It can also improve mental health literacy, making it easier to distinguish between ordinary stress, possible ongoing distress and a situation that needs immediate help. These skills may be useful at home, in study, at work or in community life. Participants also learn that supporting someone does not mean being available without limits. Self-care, consultation and referral are part of responsible first aid. A person who knows when to pause and seek help is often better placed to provide steady support over time. The learning can be particularly meaningful for people seeking practical skills rather than theory alone. At Focused Mental Education, courses and workshops combine mental health education, counselling and hypnotherapy, with programmes designed to be practical, engaging and immediately useful. The appropriate training should always match the learner’s role and the needs of the people they support. For Communities and Workplaces In a workplace or community group, shared training can make it easier for people to notice concerns and respond consistently. It may reduce stigma by replacing assumptions with informed conversation, while helping staff and volunteers understand available referral pathways. For organisations, the most useful approach is one that fits the group’s responsibilities, culture and likely situations. Workplace learning should complement, not replace, suitable policies, supervision, workload management and professional support. It can help a manager respond to a disclosure, but it does not make that manager a therapist or remove the organisation’s broader responsibilities for a safe environment. The practical benefits often build through small everyday actions: a kinder check-in, a better referral, a more thoughtful response to absence or a willingness to ask whether someone is safe. Those actions can strengthen a community without suggesting that one course can guarantee a particular outcome. How to Get Certified in Mental Health First Aid Start by deciding who you want to support and whether you need a general, youth, workplace or specialist course. Check the provider’s learning format, duration, assessment requirements and the type of certificate or accreditation offered. In Australia, a provider should also explain whether the course is delivered online, face to face or through a blended structure. The Blended Mental Health First Aid course is presented as training for supporting friends, family and others experiencing mental health challenges or crises. A blended option may suit learners who need flexibility, although the best format is the one that allows enough time for discussion, reflection and practice. After completing a course, keep the learning active. Revisit local support pathways, reflect on how you would respond to different situations and stay within the limits of your training. If an accreditation is approaching renewal, the MHFA Refresher course is described as a 4 to 5 hour option for people whose previous MHFA completion was within the last three years. Conclusion: Empowering Yourself and Others Mental Health First Aid training gives ordinary people a structured way to respond when someone may be struggling. It does not ask you to have all the answers; it asks you to notice, listen, respond to risk and help connect the person with appropriate support. That is a practical contribution, especially when fear or uncertainty might otherwise lead to inaction. The strongest learning combines evidence with compassion and real-world practice. It respects individual circumstances, recognises cultural differences and makes space for the first aider’s own wellbeing. These principles make the training useful across homes, workplaces, classrooms and community settings. Whether you are learning for personal confidence, professional development or a more supported organisation, choose a course that reflects your responsibilities. Knowledge becomes most valuable when it is applied carefully, with humility and a clear understanding of where professional help is needed. Learning how to respond to mental health concerns can make difficult moments feel more manageable. With the right training, people can offer calm initial support, encourage professional care and contribute to communities where asking for help is met with understanding. Book Mental Health First Aid training with Focused Mental Education Focused Mental Education delivers accredited Mental Health First Aid courses to workplaces and community groups across Australia, face to face or online. See how organisations such as Western Sydney University and Port Authority of NSW have put the training into practice, or contact us on (02) 8044 3365 or at info@fme.com.au. Frequently Asked Questions Is Mental Health First Aid the same as mental health treatment? No. Mental Health First Aid teaches initial support, communication and referral skills. It does not replace assessment, diagnosis, therapy, medication or emergency care provided by qualified professionals. Who can complete Mental Health First Aid training? Many courses are designed for adults from varied backgrounds, including family members, community workers, teachers, managers and professionals. Always check the eligibility requirements and intended audience for the specific course. What does the ALGEE action plan mean? ALGEE is a framework for approaching, assessing and assisting in a crisis; listening without judgement; giving reassurance and information; encouraging professional support; and encouraging self-help and other supports. Can Mental Health First Aid help with a crisis? It can help a trained person recognise possible risk, communicate calmly and seek appropriate assistance. If someone is in immediate danger, contact emergency services or urgent professional support rather than trying to manage the situation alone. Does training teach people to diagnose mental illness? No. The focus is on recognising possible signs, responding respectfully and guiding someone towards suitable help. Diagnosis belongs to appropriately qualified health professionals. How long does certification last? The duration and renewal arrangements depend on the course and provider. Before enrolling, ask how long the accreditation remains current and whether a refresher course is available. How can I support someone after completing the course? Listen, ask what support they would find useful, respect their choices and encourage professional help where appropriate. Keep boundaries clear, protect privacy and seek further assistance when the situation is beyond your role.

Key Takeaways Psychosocial Recovery Coaching and Support Coordination can both help an NDIS participant use their plan, but they support different kinds of progress. Psychosocial Recovery Coaching centres on recovery, wellbeing, confidence and day-to-day capacity. Support Coordination focuses on understanding, organising and using funded supports. The right choice depends on your goals, preferences, plan and current circumstances. Some participants may benefit from one service, while others may use both. A clear conversation about responsibilities can make your NDIS supports easier to navigate. Understanding NDIS Supports NDIS Supports are intended to help eligible participants pursue their goals and participate more independently in everyday life. The support that suits one person may not suit another, particularly when mental health, fluctuating capacity or major life changes are involved. Understanding the purpose of each service can make planning conversations more useful and less overwhelming. An NDIS plan may include several forms of assistance, and the role of each worker should be clear before services begin. Some supports are practical and coordination-based, while others focus more closely on recovery, skills, confidence and wellbeing. The distinction is not about one service being better; it is about whether the service matches the participant’s needs at that point in their journey. It is also worth checking how a proposed support relates to your plan and goals. Guidance about NDIS support categories can help participants understand how funding is structured, while an experienced provider can help translate broad goals into practical next steps. Your preferences, communication style and sense of safety matter just as much as the service label. What is Psychosocial Recovery Coaching? Psychosocial Recovery Coaching is an NDIS support for people whose disability is connected with mental health. It takes a recovery-oriented approach, recognising that progress can look different for every person and may not follow a straight line. The work can involve building confidence, strengthening daily living skills and supporting a participant to move towards personally meaningful goals. Key Responsibilities of a Psychosocial Recovery Coach A Psychosocial Recovery Coach works alongside the participant rather than taking over decision-making. Their role may include helping a person understand their strengths, identify barriers, practise strategies and build routines that support greater independence. Recovery-informed support should remain collaborative, respectful and shaped by the participant’s own priorities. Depending on the person’s goals, conversations may explore emotional wellbeing, relationships, community participation, self-advocacy or managing changes in daily life. Practical steps might be broken into smaller actions so that progress feels achievable. Common areas of focus can include: identifying personal strengths, values and recovery goals developing practical strategies for everyday challenges building confidence with communication and self-advocacy strengthening routines, relationships and community participation These responsibilities are not a substitute for clinical treatment or crisis care. Instead, coaching can sit alongside a participant’s broader support network, helping them apply useful strategies in daily life and maintain momentum between larger planning decisions. Who is Psychosocial Recovery Coaching For? This service may suit an NDIS participant with psychosocial disability who wants support to understand their recovery goals and build capacity over time. It can be particularly helpful when mental health symptoms fluctuate or when confidence has been affected by previous experiences with services, work, study or relationships. The participant remains at the centre of the process and decides what matters most. Focused Mental Education describes its Psychosocial Supports as tailored support for individuals with psychosocial disability under the NDIS, with a focus on daily functioning, resilience and recovery goals. That kind of support may be worth exploring when you want a practical, respectful space to work through goals at your own pace. A conversation about fit should happen before any commitment is made. What is Support Coordination? Support Coordination helps an NDIS participant understand and use the supports in their plan. The emphasis is generally on connecting the participant with suitable services, managing arrangements and building confidence in navigating the NDIS system. A Support Coordinator does not decide a participant’s goals for them; they help make the plan more workable. Key Responsibilities of a Support Coordinator A Support Coordinator may help a participant interpret their plan, understand available funding and connect with providers. They can also assist with organising services, resolving practical issues and reviewing whether arrangements are working well. The exact work will depend on the participant’s funding, goals and level of support required. Practical coordination can involve explaining options in plain language, helping prepare for service discussions and keeping communication moving between relevant people. It may also include support when circumstances change, such as a move, a change in informal support or a shift in goals. The central aim is to help the participant exercise choice and control while developing their own understanding of the system. Who is Support Coordination For? Support Coordination may suit someone who feels unsure about how to put their NDIS plan into action or who has several services to organise. It can also be useful when a participant is facing a transition, wants to compare service options or needs help bringing different parts of their support network together. The service is about coordination and capacity building, rather than providing therapy or replacing clinical care. The level of assistance should reflect what the participant actually needs. Some people may want help getting started and then gradually take on more tasks themselves, while others may need ongoing coordination because their circumstances are complex or change frequently. Clear boundaries at the beginning help everyone understand what the Support Coordinator will and will not do. Key Differences: Psychosocial Recovery Coaching vs. Support Coordination The two services can overlap in practical ways, but their primary purposes are different. Psychosocial Recovery Coaching is more closely connected with recovery, personal capacity and wellbeing, whereas Support Coordination is centred on implementing and managing an NDIS plan. Looking at the distinction can help you ask more useful questions of a provider or planner. The choice may not always be either-or. A participant could need help coordinating several providers while also working on confidence, routines or recovery goals. The key is to avoid paying for duplicated work and to make sure each person involved understands their role. Focus and Approach Psychosocial Recovery Coaching usually focuses on the participant’s recovery journey and the skills, strategies and confidence that support everyday life. Support Coordination usually focuses on the practical systems around a participant: providers, budgets, service agreements, plan implementation and communication. Both should be participant-led, but the conversations may feel quite different. This comparison can provide a starting point, not a rigid rulebook: Area Psychosocial Recovery Coaching Support Coordination Main focus Recovery, wellbeing and capacity building Plan implementation and service coordination Typical conversation Goals, strengths, routines and practical strategies Funding, providers, arrangements and plan processes Desired direction Greater confidence and independence in daily life Greater understanding and control of supports Relationship with other services Can complement clinical and community supports Can connect and organise different supports The table is a guide to the usual emphasis of each service. Individual providers may describe their work differently, so ask how the service will address your specific goals and how progress will be reviewed. NDIS Plan Integration Support Coordination has a direct relationship with implementing the participant’s NDIS plan, including understanding funded supports and arranging services. Psychosocial Recovery Coaching may also relate to plan goals, but its day-to-day work is more likely to involve recovery planning, capacity building and practical strategies. In either case, the participant should be able to see how the support connects with their plan. Focused Mental Education offers NDIS-focused mental health support and describes its approach as combining mental health education and therapeutic support. This approach aims to provide a holistic and integrated experience for individuals navigating their mental health journey within the NDIS framework. Where a participant is considering a service with a mental health focus, it is sensible to ask which component is being offered, how it fits within the plan and what outcomes the participant hopes to work towards. A therapeutic support option may be relevant to a different need, so the service description and funding arrangements should be checked carefully. Making the Right Choice for Your NDIS Journey Start with the difficulty you are trying to address, rather than the name of a service. If you need help organising providers, understanding your plan or managing service arrangements, Support Coordination may be the closer fit. If you want to work on recovery goals, confidence, routines or practical wellbeing strategies, Psychosocial Recovery Coaching may be more suitable. It can help to prepare a short list of questions before speaking with a provider. Ask what the worker does in a typical session, how they measure progress, how they communicate with other supports and what happens if your needs change. You can also ask whether the service is appropriate for your funding and whether there is a clear process for reviewing the arrangement. Your choice should feel safe, respectful and manageable. Focused Mental Education’s broader approach is built around practical, evidence-based learning and support, with seasoned professionals providing guidance for individuals and organisations. Whatever service you choose, informed consent, clear boundaries and genuine collaboration should guide the relationship. Conclusion: Navigating Your NDIS Supports Effectively Psychosocial Recovery Coaching and Support Coordination are distinct NDIS Supports with different main purposes. One generally centres on recovery and building personal capacity, while the other helps a participant understand and organise the supports connected with their plan. Both can contribute to greater choice and control when the role is clearly defined. The most useful decision begins with your own circumstances, goals and preferred way of working. Consider what you need help with now, what you would like to manage more independently and whether any existing services already cover the same ground. A careful discussion with your plan manager, provider or support network can clarify the next step. With the right support in place, NDIS planning can become more practical and less confusing. You do not have to identify the perfect arrangement immediately; services can be reviewed as your needs and goals develop. What matters is that the support remains relevant, respectful and connected to the life you want to build. Choosing between Psychosocial Recovery Coaching and Support Coordination starts with understanding what kind of assistance will best support your goals, wellbeing and independence. With clear roles and an approach shaped around your circumstances, your NDIS supports can become a more confident and purposeful part of your journey. Talk to us about NDIS psychosocial support Focused Mental Education is a registered NDIS provider based in Mount Annan, supporting participants across the Macarthur region and via telehealth. To find out whether our NDIS services suit your goals, contact us on (02) 8044 3365 or at info@fme.com.au. Frequently Asked Questions Is Psychosocial Recovery Coaching the same as Support Coordination? No. Psychosocial Recovery Coaching generally focuses on recovery, wellbeing and building personal capacity, while Support Coordination generally focuses on understanding and implementing an NDIS plan and organising services. Can a participant use both services? Some participants may use both where each service addresses a different need. The roles should be clearly explained so that work is not duplicated and the participant understands how the services fit together. What does a Psychosocial Recovery Coach do? A Psychosocial Recovery Coach works collaboratively with a participant on recovery goals, practical strategies, confidence, routines and capacity building. The work is shaped by the participant’s priorities and is not a replacement for clinical treatment. What does a Support Coordinator do? A Support Coordinator can help a participant understand their plan, connect with providers, organise supports and address practical issues affecting service delivery. Their role is to support choice and control, not to make decisions on the participant’s behalf. How do I know which service is right for me? Think about whether your main need is organising and understanding supports or working on recovery, confidence and daily capacity. Discuss your goals, funding and preferred approach with an appropriate planner or provider before starting. Are these services suitable for everyone with psychosocial disability? Suitability depends on the participant’s goals, plan, circumstances and preferences. A service should be considered individually, with attention to the type of support offered and how it connects with the participant’s needs. Can these supports replace mental health treatment? No. Psychosocial supports and coordination are different from clinical diagnosis and treatment. A participant should maintain appropriate clinical or crisis supports and discuss how services can work alongside them.

Western Sydney University staff with their certificates after completing the two-day Standard Mental Health First Aid course with Focused Mental Education. Over two days, a group of staff from Western Sydney University sat down together and did something that sounds simple but rarely is, they learned how to have the conversation most people avoid. Focused Mental Education recently delivered the Standard Mental Health First Aid course to teams at Western Sydney University. In the twenty-four hours that followed, twenty-two participants left five-star reviews. We are sharing some of them here, in their words, because they say more about the two days than we could. Why two days, and not two hours There is no shortage of one-hour mental health awareness sessions available to workplaces. They have their place. But awareness and capability are different things, and the gap between them is where most people freeze. Standard Mental Health First Aid is a 12-hour, evidence-based course accredited by Mental Health First Aid Australia. Delivered face-to-face, it runs as two six-hour days. That length is deliberate. It creates enough room to move past definitions and into practice, the part where participants actually rehearse what they would say, and discover how much harder it is than it looks on a slide. “The two day course was very well put together and he has made it a far more understandable course than what I was expecting for myself. I think his gentle approach whilst also being able to correct any misconceptions helps make the participants understand better.” Namatai What the group covered The course is built around adults supporting adults. Across the two days, participants worked through the signs and symptoms of the mental health problems most likely to appear in an Australian workplace or campus: depression, anxiety, psychosis and substance use problems. It then moves into the harder territory, the crisis situations. Suicidal thoughts and behaviours. Panic attacks. Non-suicidal self-injury. The aftermath of a traumatic event. These are the moments where people most want to help and least know how, and they are given the time and care they deserve rather than a passing mention. “This training is incredibly worth the time. Difficult topics are covered with great detail and care.” Victoria Underpinning all of it is the ALGEE action plan, the framework at the heart of Mental Health First Aid: A: Approach the person, assess and assist with any crisis L: Listen and communicate non-judgementally G: Give support and information E: Encourage the person to get appropriate professional help E: Encourage other supports The value of ALGEE is that it gives people something to hold onto. When a colleague says something that stops you in your tracks, you do not need to improvise a response or diagnose anything. You need a sequence you trust, and the confidence to begin. “It provided practical knowledge and skills to recognise the signs of mental health problems, respond appropriately, and how to offer initial support to someone who may be experiencing a mental health crisis. I particularly appreciated the focus on listening without judgement, communicating effectively, and understanding when professional help is needed.” Corine From knowing to doing The most valuable outcome of a Standard course is not that people learned a lot. It is that they walk out knowing what to say. That shift, from recognising that someone is struggling to actually opening the conversation, is the entire point. Plenty of people can spot the signs. Far fewer feel equipped to act on them, because the fear of saying the wrong thing is a powerful reason to say nothing at all. Two days of guided practice, discussion and realistic scenarios is what turns good intentions into a response someone can rely on. “Improved awareness and greater understanding of mental health issues and gained confidence in dealing effectively if approached with certain situations.” Sunita “Damien is highly knowledgeable, I have loved the case studies, example scenarios shared as it has really hammered in the theory. I’ve learnt so much from this that I will use both personally and professionally.” Tee That last point came up again and again over the two days, and in the reviews afterwards. People did not just leave better equipped at work. They left better equipped at home, with friends, and in the ordinary conversations that make up a life. “It gave me a lot of valuable and in-depth information on how to support people experiencing mental health challenges, how to approach difficult situations, and how to take care of myself as well.” Silvia Participants who complete the course are accredited as Mental Health First Aiders for three years. Why this matters in a university Western Sydney University campus. Staff are often the first to notice when a colleague or student is struggling. Universities are dense, complicated communities. Academic and professional staff work alongside each other under real pressure, and they sit at the front line for a student population navigating the years in which mental health conditions most commonly emerge. A staff member is very often the first person to notice that something has changed. “One of the most informed courses I’ve ever done as a social worker in higher education space. Some great techniques to apply in real cases.” Crystal By investing two full days in Standard Mental Health First Aid, Western Sydney University has put trained people into that community, people who can recognise what they are seeing, respond with confidence and connect someone to the right help before a difficult period becomes a crisis. “This course should be mandatory for everyone. All of us have mental health and having awareness of how to assist someone who may be in need is something we should all aspire to do.” Natalee Damien Burke of Focused Mental Education presents Western Sydney University (Kingswood, NSW) with a Certificate of Recognition for its commitment to workplace mental health. Congratulations to everyone who took part. You showed up, you engaged with material that is not always comfortable, and you did the work. Bringing Standard Mental Health First Aid to your organisation Focused Mental Education delivers accredited Mental Health First Aid training to workplaces, universities, community organisations and teams across Australia. Standard MHFA is available as a two-day face-to-face course, or in blended formats that combine self-paced eLearning with shorter facilitated sessions where two consecutive days is not practical. “I would recommend this training to all organisations that regularly interact with the general public.” Charlotte If your organisation is ready to move from awareness to capability, we would like to hear from you. Get in touch: info@fme.com.au

Port Authority of New South Wales has turned mental health training from a one-off event into a sustained investment in its people. Over 14 months, Port Authority staff have completed three accredited Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) courses delivered by Focused Mental Education: Standard, Youth and Older Person. The result is a workforce better equipped to look after each other at work, and to support the young people and older people in their lives away from it. Three things make this commitment stand out: It responds to recognised risks. Like many 24/7 maritime and emergency response workplaces, port work involves psychosocial hazards that employers are required to manage. It started from a strong foundation. Staff described the 2025 Standard course as practical, relevant and closely connected to their work. It reaches beyond the workplace. By adding Youth and Older Person training, Port Authority gave its people skills that matter as parents, carers, coaches and family members. Marie-Louise Borg of Port Authority's Learning team with Damien Burke and the Certificate of Recognition, 21 October 2026. Why mental health matters at a working port Port Authority manages navigation, security and operational safety for commercial shipping across six NSW ports: Sydney Harbour, Port Botany, Newcastle, Port Kembla, Eden and Yamba. Its people work around the clock as harbour masters, marine pilots, vessel traffic controllers, emergency responders, hydrographic surveyors and cruise terminal staff. It is also the lead agency for responding to maritime incidents along a large stretch of the NSW coast. Work like this is meaningful, and it also brings what NSW work health and safety law calls psychosocial hazards. These are aspects of work and situations that can cause a stress response, which over time may lead to psychological or physical harm. Since 1 October 2022, NSW employers have been required to identify and manage these hazards with the same care they apply to physical risks. If the term is new to you, here are some common examples found across maritime, transport and emergency response settings generally: Shift work and fatigue Operations that never close mean night shifts, early starts and rotating rosters. Disrupted sleep affects the body clock, known as the circadian rhythm, which in turn can affect mood, concentration and time with family. Fatigue is both a safety risk and a wellbeing risk. High-consequence, safety-critical work Safety-critical roles in shipping and transport leave little room for error. Staying highly alert for long periods places a heavy mental load on a person, and that pressure can build quietly without anyone noticing. Exposure to distressing events People in emergency response roles may attend or hear about serious incidents. Strong reactions afterwards, such as trouble sleeping, replaying events or feeling on edge, are normal human responses to abnormal events. This is sometimes called critical incident stress. A related idea is vicarious trauma: the emotional impact of repeatedly hearing about, reading about or managing other people's distressing experiences, even without being directly involved. Remote or isolated work Time on the water, overnight shifts and smaller regional teams can mean fewer people nearby to talk things through. Isolation is listed as a recognised hazard because it reduces the everyday support that helps people cope. Public-facing pressure Public-facing roles in transport and tourism often involve large crowds, tight timeframes and, at times, people who are frustrated or upset. Dealing with this regularly can be draining. None of these hazards describes any one person. They are part of the landscape in which port and maritime professionals work. MHFA does not replace professional care or an organisation's wider risk controls. What it does is give people a practical, evidence-based action plan so they can notice when a colleague is struggling, start a supportive conversation and guide that person towards appropriate help. In a 24/7 workplace, that early, human response matters. A strong foundation: Standard MHFA in 2025 Port Authority's program began on 26 and 27 August 2025, when staff completed Standard Mental Health First Aid. This gave colleagues a shared foundation for recognising when someone at work may be struggling and knowing how to respond. Participant feedback after the course showed how strongly it resonated: “I feel more confident in supporting my colleagues and understanding mental health. I learnt a lot of new content that I did not know about before.” Port Authority participant, Standard MHFA Other participants spoke about what the training meant for their work: “Excellent connection between the course content and applying to workplace environment.” Port Authority participant, Standard MHFA “Support my team members better and know how to support myself better.” Port Authority participant, Standard MHFA Port Authority staff at the Standard Mental Health First Aid course, August 2025. Going further: Youth and Older Person MHFA in 2026 Many organisations stop once staff are trained to support adult colleagues. Port Authority chose to keep going. In 2026 it brought in two specialist courses that recognise a simple truth: employees are also parents, step-parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles, sports coaches, neighbours and the adult children of ageing parents. The mental health skills they need do not switch off when they leave work. Youth Mental Health First Aid, 26 and 27 August 2026 Port Authority recognised the value of this course early, because so many of its staff have young people in their lives, whether as parents, step-parents, relatives or mentors. Staff learnt how to support a young person aged 12 to 18 who may be experiencing a mental health problem or crisis. The need is real. The Australian Bureau of Statistics found that 38.8% of Australians aged 16 to 24 had a mental illness in the previous 12 months, compared with 21.5% across all ages from 16 to 85. Adolescence is often when conditions such as depression and anxiety first emerge, which makes the confident, informed adults around a young person especially important. “The Youth Mental Health First Aid course content was covered in a comprehensive, [respectful] and informative way.” Salvatore, Youth MHFA (completed all three courses) Older Person Mental Health First Aid, 20 and 21 October 2026 Port Authority placed particular emphasis on this course. Australia's population is ageing, and almost everyone has, or will have, ageing parents, grandparents or relatives who may one day need support. Staff completed training focused on adults aged 65 and over. Mental health problems in older people are often missed, because changes in mood, sleep or memory can be wrongly put down to “just getting older”. Life changes such as retirement, grief, loneliness and declining health can all play a part. The course helps people tell the difference between conditions, approach sensitive conversations with respect, and find the right support. “…The older person specific course allows you to look at the complexities of dealing with older people and common associated conditions like dementia, and ways to approach as a mental health first aider. Having this knowledge allows the first aider to have more empathy and understanding…” Melissa, Older Person MHFA (completed all three courses) “I feel much better equipped with awareness and strategies on how to best support a person in crisis.” Port Authority participant, Older Person MHFA Port Authority staff at the Older Person Mental Health First Aid course, October 2026. Coming back for more: Melissa and Salvatore Melissa and Salvatore from Port Authority completed all three courses with Focused Mental Education: Standard in August 2025, Youth in August 2026 and Older Person in October 2026. Choosing to return twice over more than a year says a great deal about how much they valued the training and how relevant they found it, both at work and at home. “These courses are a vital step in improving and educating in the mental health area.” Melissa, completed Standard, Youth and Older Person MHFA Why this makes work more meaningful When an employer invests in skills that help staff care for their own children, parents and communities, the message is clear: you matter as a whole person, not only as a role on a roster. Staff now have a depth of understanding that spans every stage of life, and that knowledge now travels home with them, into school pick-ups, family dinners and visits to grandparents. Recognising Port Authority's commitment On 21 October 2026, the final day of the Older Person course, Focused Mental Education presented Port Authority of New South Wales with a Certificate of Recognition. It reads: “Commending your organisation’s efforts to raise the awareness and promotion of mental health throughout Australia, and for your ongoing and unconditional support.” A program like this does not happen by accident. Our sincere thanks go to Marie-Louise Borg and Leanne Thomas from Port Authority's Learning team, who organised the courses and also took part in them. Their support and enthusiasm set the tone for every session. What other organisations can take from this Treat mental health training as a program, not a one-off. Building in stages lets each course strengthen the last. Back internal champions. Committed people in learning and people teams are what turn good intentions into action. Think about the whole person. Skills for supporting young and older people reach families and communities, and staff notice that investment. Pair training with risk management. MHFA works best alongside the steps employers take to identify and control psychosocial hazards. Frequently asked questions What is the difference between Standard, Youth and Older Person Mental Health First Aid? All three teach the same evidence-based action plan. Standard MHFA focuses on supporting adults, Youth MHFA on supporting young people aged 12 to 18, and Older Person MHFA on supporting adults aged 65 and over. How long do the courses take, and are they accredited? Standard and Older Person MHFA are 12-hour courses and Youth MHFA is 14 hours, usually delivered face-to-face over two days. Participants who complete the assessment become Accredited Mental Health First Aiders for three years. Can Focused Mental Education deliver this training at our workplace? Yes. We deliver accredited Mental Health First Aid training to workplaces across Australia and can tailor scheduling to rosters and shift work. Bring Mental Health First Aid training to your organisation If your organisation would like to explore Standard, Youth, Older Person or other accredited Mental Health First Aid courses, or advice on managing psychosocial hazards, contact Focused Mental Education at www.fme.com.au, on (02) 8044 3365 or at info@fme.com.au. About the author: Damien Burke is the Director of Focused Mental Education and a Licensed Mental Health First Aid Instructor who delivers accredited MHFA training to workplaces and communities across Australia. If this article has raised concerns for you or someone you know, support is available 24 hours a day from Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636. In an emergency, call 000. Sources Port Authority of New South Wales, About us SafeWork NSW, Code of Practice: Managing psychosocial hazards at work Australian Bureau of Statistics, National Study of Mental Health and Wellbeing, 2020 to 2022 Mental Health First Aid Australia, Youth Mental Health First Aid Mental Health First Aid Australia, Older Person Mental Health First Aid Participant comments are drawn from public Google reviews of Focused Mental Education and participant course feedback. Mental Health First Aid and MHFA are trademarks of Mental Health First Aid International.