BRIEFING: Anxiety - Why is it taking Australians so long to seek help and get treated?

Embargoed until: Publicly released: 2019-04-08 09:30

Australia; NSW

One-in-seven Australians live with an anxiety disorder, making it the most common mental health issue in Australia. Yet anxiety disorders often go unrecognised and untreated for long periods - people with an anxiety disorder wait an average of 8.2 years to seek treatment. A survey to be released by NPS MedicineWise on Monday shows that most Australians are unaware of some of the more effective treatments available for anxiety disorders and underestimate the time taken for those with the condition to seek help. The survey is part of an education campaign on anxiety designed to raise awareness of this common mental health issue and increase the public's understanding of the treatment options available. Furthermore, NPS MedicineWise educators are visiting 8,000 GPs around Australia to discuss the diagnosis and treatment of anxiety disorders. Join this online briefing with NPS MedicineWise to hear from expert clinicians and a consumer about her experience with anxiety.

News release

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Speakers:

Gemma Latter is a consumer and pharmacy student who was diagnosed with several anxiety disorders at the age of 16. She will talk about her experiences and her journey for improvement with the help of psychological treatments and medicines.
Dr Jeannie Yoo is a general practitioner and clinical adviser at NPS MedicineWise. She will present the results of the new survey and explain the key messages of the NPS MedicineWise national education program.
Dr Alison Mahoney is a senior clinical psychologist at the Clinical Research Unit for Anxiety and Depression (CRUfAD) at St Vincent’s Hospital in Sydney. She will talk about psychological treatments for anxiety disorders and her experience of people taking the first steps to seek help with their anxiety.

Survey results and information about anxiety will be available on the NPS MedicineWise website from 11am on 8 April 2019.

This briefing has now ended. A full recording of the briefing is available below.

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Media Release NPS MedicineWise, Web page

Other NPS MedicineWise, Web page Fact Sheet

Other Australian Science Media Centre, Web page Full briefing recording

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