Five years after Covid-19 upended daily life, Australia is still grappling with the profound mental health impacts of its pandemic response. A recent Human Rights Commission report paints a stark picture of the lasting consequences, particularly for young Australians.
Strict lock-downs, border closures, and isolation during the pandemic were necessary measures, but they came at a significant human cost that we are still reckoning with today.
While these measures undoubtedly saved lives, they also contributed to a surge in mental health issues, with 40% of young Australians now experiencing anxiety, depression, and other psychological struggles. The mental health crisis is particularly devastating among youth, with record-high suicide rates. In 2022 alone, 381 Australians under the age of 24 tragically died by suicide. This reflects the deep emotional scars left by months of isolation and disruptions to daily life during the pandemic.
Parents of teenagers who tragically took their own life, after enduring the isolation and confusion brought on by extended lock-downs, believe their children would still be alive if they had received the timely mental health support they so desperately needed. Unfortunately, they were faced with long wait lists for care, overwhelmed services, and the frustrating inability to get their children the help they needed.
Access to mental health services remains a critical issue today. Many of those families could not secure psychological care for their children. The response was often the same: overwhelmed professionals and no availability. This systemic failure persists, with young Australians still facing up to six-month wait times for mental health support. The situation is further exacerbated by cuts to Medicare-subsidised psychological sessions, which have been reduced from 20 to just 10, leaving many young people with little or no affordable access to care. For those who can’t afford private care, consultations now cost as much as $2,500.
As the mental health crisis deepens, families continue to struggle with the fallout. Young people, many of whom were already vulnerable, are left without sufficient support, and the emotional and psychological scars of the pandemic continue to shape their lives.
The lessons of the pandemic are clear: emergency health measures, while necessary, must be balanced with a robust response to the mental health needs of vulnerable populations. As Australia recovers from the pandemic, there must be a concerted effort to invest in and expand mental health services, particularly for young people. Without these investments, we risk facing the long-term consequences of a generation that was left behind, struggling with a crisis that is far from over.
