It's 2022 and there's a lot to be stressed about: a global pandemic, the rising cost of living, the ever-present climate crisis, the never-ending news cycle and the overuse of the term “unprecedented times”. The list goes on. And on. It's enough to make anyone feel overwhelmed – and it's doing just that.
One in two Australian women are currently experiencing mental ill-health, with 69 per cent facing stress-related disorders and 40 per cent dealing with anxiety, according to the inaugural Liptember Foundation National Research Study. One in four report having a serious mental health disorder. “Stress is the leading mental health issue in Australian women,” says Katrina Locandro, marketing and communications manager at Liptember Foundation. “The most common triggers are financial struggles, being too hard on ourselves, low self-esteem and poor work/life balance.”
The national survey confirms what service providers are seeing on the frontline. In 2021, there were 42,000 more calls from women to the Lifeline Australia crisis support number than the previous year. That number is expected to rise in 2022, reveals Irene Gallagher, head of crisis services, knowledge and
