4-3

4-3. Mental health conditions

In 2018, more than a quarter (29.4%) South Australians aged 18 years or more reported living with a doctor-diagnosed mental health condition¹.
A mental health condition is defined here as doctor-diagnosed anxiety, depression, stress, or any other mental health problem.
The rate varies between the local health networks (LHNs) from 21.4% in the Yorke and Northern LHN to 34.9% in the Southern Adelaide LHN¹.
The metropolitan Adelaide rate (31.0%) is statistically significantly higher than the Country SA rate of 25.8%¹.
No time series is available for this indicator due to a change in survey methods. In 2018, SA Health discontinued the South Australian Monitoring and Surveillance System (SAMSS) and moved to the improved South Australian Population Health Survey (SAPHS). Results between the collections are not comparable.

Note: Data are weighted which can result in rounding discrepancies.

Data source: SA Health 2020

In 2018, the proportion of the population aged 18 years and over that reported living with a doctor-diagnosed mental health condition was statistically higher for females (36.4%) than males (22.3%)¹.
A mental health condition is defined here as doctor-diagnosed anxiety, depression, stress, or any other mental health problem.

4-3-2

* Relative standard error between 25% and 50%. Please treat estimate with caution.

Note: Data are weighted which can result in rounding discrepancies.

Data source: SA Health 2020

In 2018, there was a statistically significant inverse correlation between the proportion of people aged 18 years reporting living with a doctor-diagnosed mental health condition and the socio-economic status of the geographic area in which they live¹.
A mental health condition is defined here as doctor-diagnosed anxiety, depression, stress, or any other mental health problem.

4-3-3

Note: Data are weighted which can result in rounding discrepancies.

Data source: SA Health 2020

Data presented here is from the Australian Bureau of Statistics’ 2017-18 National Health Survey for people of all ages and is not directly comparable with data presented from the state-wide survey for ages 18 years and over in 4-3-1 to 4-3-3 above.
The national survey reports figures that broadly corroborate the statewide figures, showing that roughly one in five (19.7%, age standardised) of the population in South Australia is living with a mental or behavioural problem that has lasted, or which the survey respondent expects to last, for six months or more².
Mental or behavioural conditions include alcohol and drug problems; mood (affective) disorders; anxiety related disorders; organic mental disorders; and other mental and behavioural conditions.
The South Australian rate is similar to the Australian average of 20.0% (age standardised)².

**Living with a mental or behavioural problem (all ages), 2017–18 (age-standardised)**
State/Territory	%
Northern Territory	16.0%
Western Australia	17.8%
New South Wales	19.0%
South Australia	19.7%
Victoria	20.0%
Australian Capital Territory	21.1%
Tasmania	21.8%
Queensland	22.8%
Australia	20.0%

4-3-4

Data source: ABS 2018

Almost a third (29.5%) of Aboriginal people (aged two years and over) in South Australia are living with a mental or behavioural problem that has lasted, or which the survey respondent expects to last, for six months or more, above the national average for Aboriginal people of 24.2%³.
Mental or behavioural conditions include alcohol and drug problems; mood (affective) disorders; anxiety related disorders; organic mental disorders; and other mental and behavioural conditions.
This rate is 9.8 percentage points higher than the 19.7% (age standardised) all-population (all ages) rate recorded in 2017-18 (see 4-3-4 above)².

**Living with a mental or behavioural problem - Aboriginal people (aged 2+ years), 2018–19 (crude rates)**
State/Territory	%
Northern Territory	10.3%
Western Australia	19.3%
Queensland	20.0%
New South Wales	28.6%
South Australia	29.5%
Victoria	32.6%
Tasmania	33.8%
Australian Capital Territory	39.7%
Australia	24.2%

4-3-5

Data source: ABS 2019

Based on South Australian Population Health Survey customised extract 2020, Prevention and Population Health, SA Health, Adelaide, 3 February 2020.
Based on Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS 2018), ‘Table 2.3 Summary health characteristics — States and territories, Proportion of persons’, National Health Survey: First Results, 2017-18, cat. no. 4364.0.55.001, 12 December 2018.
Based on Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS 2019), 'Table 3.3 Selected health characteristics, by State/Territory, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander persons, 2018–19, Proportion of persons,' National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Survey, 2018-19, cat. no. 4715.0, 11 December 2019.