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Mental health resources

Warning:

If you or someone close to you is experiencing an emergency, or is at immediate risk of harm, call triple zero (000). To talk to someone now, call Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636 or Lifeline on 13 11 14.

Key facts

  • Good mental health allows you to cope with challenges in your life.
  • Most people will struggle with their mental health at some point in their lives.
  • If you are struggling with your mental health or have a mental illness, there are resources and support services available.

What is mental health?

The term 'mental health' refers to your sense of wellbeing. Good mental health allows you to cope with life's challenges. Poor mental health can make it difficult to cope with day-to-day life.

Why is good mental health important?

Your mental health affects how you think, feel and behave.

Looking after your mental health is as important as looking after your physical health. Good mental health helps you:

Many people experience a mental health issue at some point in their lives. If things don't seem to get better, it could be a sign of a mental illness.

What things can affect mental health?

A number of factors can negatively affect your mental health, such as:

Other experiences that can impact your mental health include:

If you're having a difficult time, it doesn't necessarily mean that your mental health is in danger. But it's worth talking to someone for advice and support to help you get back on track.

CHECK YOUR SYMPTOMS — Use the Symptom Checker and find out if you need to seek medical help.

How can I improve my mental health and wellbeing?

Ways to support and maintain good mental health include:

You can take steps to nurture your mental health. It's very important to seek help and support when you need it. Just like physical illnesses, mental illnesses need to be treated to get better.

Mental health concerns affect many people across all:

  • ages
  • cultures
  • walks of life

If your mental health does not improve, see your doctor. They can organise a mental health plan for you. Your doctor can also refer you to other mental health professionals for treatment.

There are many different Australian Mental Health Services available.

FIND A HEALTH SERVICE — The Service Finder can help you find doctors, pharmacies, hospitals and other health services.

Where can I get help if I am feeling suicidal?

Warning:

If you, or someone you know, is having suicidal thoughts and is in immediate danger, call triple zero (000). For help and support, call Lifeline on 13 11 14 

Where can I find support for mental health issues?

There are resources available online, in person, or over the phone that can provide mental health information, support and advice.

Self-esteem

Lack of self-esteem and confidence can affect your mental health.

You can find more advice on improving self-esteem on these websites:

24/7 Mental health helplines infographic promotional tile.

For more information on 24/7 Mental health helplines.

Relationship issues

Relationship issues with partners, friends and family members can all affect your mental health.

You can get online support and self-help programs through:

Support can also be found by calling:

Bullying and harassment

Online resources for bullying, sexual harassment and sexual assault support include:

Work or study stress

Struggles with work or studying can affect your mental health. Visit the Headspace website (Opens in new tab) for advice on mental health in the workplace (Opens in new tab).

Black Dog Institute (Opens in new tab) also offers a range of mental health training programs for the workplace.

Many workplaces offer an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) (Opens in new tab). This is  confidential support for their employees. You can check if your workplace has an EAP.

You can also ask if your school, university or TAFE college has a support service. 

ReachOut (Opens in new tab) has a quiz to help you understand your studying style.

Headspace (Opens in new tab) has resources about school stress (Opens in new tab) and how to lower stress and prepare for exams (Opens in new tab).

Financial stress

Problems with money can cause stress and have a negative impact on your mental health. There are services and resources available to:

  • help you with money management
  • provide advice and aid in times of financial difficulty
  • help you access a possible crisis payment

Online resources include Money Smart (Opens in new tab) and Services Australia (Opens in new tab).

If you are struggling financially, you can also access support with needs like food and housing through different organisations such as:

Substance abuse

Your mental health can be impacted by the use of drugs or alcohol.

To speak with someone about substance abuse and mental health, you can call:

You can find online support at:

The Department of Health, Disability and Ageing has information on how to quit smoking (Opens in new tab)

Grief and loss

As you move through life, you are likely to experience grief and loss. This can impact your mental health. You can call Griefline (Opens in new tab) on 1300 845 745.

Some local health districts have free bereavement counselling services. It may be worthwhile checking your local area.

You can also find support through Beyond Blue (Opens in new tab) and Headspace (Opens in new tab).

Where can I find support for mental health conditions?

Support and information on mental health conditions can be found online. 

Depression and anxiety

Resources for depression and anxiety are available:

Personality disorders

Resources for personality disorders are available:

ReachOut (Opens in new tab) has information on support services for young people with personality disorders.

Trauma and post-traumatic mental health

Resources for trauma and post-traumatic stress (Opens in new tab) are available:

Eating disorders

Support and resources for eating disorders are available:

You can also call the Butterfly Foundation helpline on 1800 33 4673.

Additional resources

For advice and to get connected to local mental health services, call Medicare Mental Health (Opens in new tab) on 1800 595 212. Check the operating times.

If you want general mental health support and information, you can visit:

For advice and to connect to local mental health services, call Medicare Mental Health on 1800 595 212. Check the operating times. 

Other languages

If you speak a language other than English, you can visit the Transcultural Mental Health Centre website (Opens in new tab). There, you can find translated mental health resources in over 40 languages.

Young people

If you are a young person who needs support, there are services available:

Parents or guardians

There are mental health resources for parents, carers and guardians. You can:

Older people

With ageing comes change in your life and physical health. This can impact your mental health. Learn more about older people and mental health.

If you are caring for an older person with a mental health condition, you can visit My Aged Care (Opens in new tab) for support and information.

Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander peoples

You can visit the 13YARN website (Opens in new tab), or call on 13 92 76, for mental health support for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

LGBTIQA+

If you are a member of the LGBTIQA+ community, you can visit:

You can read more about LGBTIQA+ mental health.

People living with disability

You can also call the healthdirect helpline on 1800 022 222 (known as NURSE-ON-CALL in Victoria). A registered nurse is available to speak with you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Last reviewed: June 2026

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Top results

Access to free and immediate support for mental illness | Mind Australia

New Mental Health & Wellbeing Hubs are now operating across Victoria, making it easier for Victorians to access free and immediate support for mental illness.The hubs provide Victorians with easier access to mental health support as they continue to navigate through the impacts of the pandemic.The hubs provide a mix of free face-to-face support, telehealth, mobile outreach and online delivery services.What do the hubs do?The Mental Health & Wellbeing Hubs are available to Victorians of all ages who have any mental health or wellbeing concerns.
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Learn more on Mind Australia website

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