Stories about interest rates and cost-of-living often focus on Australians’ hip pockets. But what about the impact on our mental health?

The National Mental Health Commission’s most recent “report card” shows financial stress has taken a significant toll in the last few years.

It found the proportion of people finding it “difficult” or “very difficult” to cope on their income doubled from 17.1% in November 2020 to 34.6% in January 2024. Women consistently reported higher levels of financial stress compared to men.

More people are also delaying seeing a mental health professional due to cost – or not seeing one at all (20.4% in 2023–24, compared to 12% in 2020–21).

But whether you’re experiencing a job loss, struggling with debt, or just worried about day-to-day expenses, it’s important to take your mental health seriously.

We often focus on the medical aspects of mental health, for example, whether someone has a certain mental health condition such as depression or anxiety.

But broader social factors can also influence our mental........

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