If you know five people, the chances are at least one is living with a mental health condition. More than 8.5 million Australians will need mental health treatment in their lifetime for depression, anxiety, substance use and or psychosis.

But why do these people die on average more than a decade earlier than people who don’t access mental health support?

People aged 15–74 who are treated for mental illness make up just over 22% of the total population. But they account for almost half (49.3%) of all premature deaths.

The vast majority die due to physical health issues – and they’re preventable.

Over the past 30 years, Australians overall have enjoyed a five to six year increase in life expectancy. This is largely due to improvements in health care and healthier behaviours, such as reductions in smoking and advances in early detection and treatment of cancer and heart disease.

However, people with mental illness have not enjoyed the same increases in life expectancy, leading to a widening gap.

This is true for a range of mental health conditions.

People with........

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