The Department of Health has launched the first phase in its Intergenerational Health and Mental Health Study, The National Study of Mental Health and Wellbeing.
In a statement, the Department said the study aimed to provide an in-depth understanding of the mental health challenges that Australians were facing.
“Almost half of Australians experience some form of mental illness at some point in their lifetime,” the Department said.
“In addition, the 2019 bushfires and the ongoing impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic have significantly affected the mental health and wellbeing of many people across the country.”
It said the study would provide “unrivalled depth to our understanding of these mental health challenges and conditions”.
“It will capture, among other aspects, new information on self-harm, eating disorders and services used by people at risk of suicide,” it said.
“It will help us better understand how Australians manage their mental health and how they access support, playing a vital role in the planning and delivery of better local services now and in the future.”
The Department said up to 17,000 people, aged 16-to-85, would take part in the study, with the first results expected by the end of the year.
“The work is the first part of the Intergenerational Health and Mental Health Study, a multi-year study of approximately 60,000 Australians which will run until 2023,” the Department said.
“It includes four national studies covering mental health, general health, nutrition and physical activity and biomedical health status.”
It said the remaining national studies would begin from 2022 after the next Australian Census.