Women's mental health

Your mental health matters

Caring for your mental health helps you cope with the everyday stresses of life so you can:

• feel good and stay physically healthy
• have good relationships
• achieve your goals in all areas of your life
• make decisions and achieve your goals in life.

It’s normal to feel sad or worried, but if your mental health is affecting your daily life, you might need support. For example, if you avoid doing things that are usually important to you like seeing friends or taking care of yourself. Knowing what to look out for can help you take care of your health or support someone else.

Common mental health issues for women

Women experience mental health issues for many reasons. These can change during different stages of life or from things like:

• caring for another person
• relationship stress
• physical or sexual assault
• domestic and family violence
• financial strain
• chronic health conditions
• sleep disruption, especially during early parenting
• having a new baby.

Hormonal changes, such as puberty, period cycle, pregnancy, postpartum, perimenopause or menopause can also affect your mental health.

Mental health issues for our communities

Women may also face extra challenges that can affect their mental health, including:

• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples
• LGBTIQA+ communities
• women from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds
• women with disability.

These challenges often come from stigma, discrimination, trauma, barriers to getting care, or feeling unsafe or unsupported.

Supporting your mental wellbeing

Several things can help to improve mental wellbeing, including:

• staying active, eating well and getting enough sleep
• reducing alcohol and other drug use
• learning and trying new things to challenge your mind
• connecting with and caring for others, and being kind and grateful
• being mindful and present in the moment
• going outside to connect with nature.

Taking just a few moments to do one or two of these each day can make a big difference to your mental wellbeing. Even if you live with mental illness, doing these things will still support your mental wellbeing. The Dear Mind website explains why and has practical ways to help you get started.

When you might need more support

When distressing thoughts, feelings and behaviours are severe or impacting your daily life, it can help to talk to your GP or another health professional. They’ll talk to you about what you’re experiencing and help you find the support or care you need.

Common symptoms of mental disorders include feeling:

• sad, hopeless or negative
• scared or worried
• guilty or worthless
• restless, angry, irritable or withdrawn.

You might also have:

• very high and low moods
• trouble sleeping, or sleeping too much
• low energy, fatigue or changes in your appetite or weight
• aches, headaches, or digestive problems without a clear cause
• thoughts or behaviour that affect your work, family, or relationships.

More serious signs include:

• using self harm, alcohol or drugs to cope or get relief
• unhealthy eating patterns such as restrictive dieting, compulsive eating or skipping meals
• thoughts of death or suicide, or attempting suicide
• seeing or hearing things that aren’t there.

Talking to your GP or another health professional

When you talk to your GP or another healthy professional, they’ll ask how you’re feeling and how your symptoms affect you. Give them as much information as possible to help them understand what’s going on.

Before your appointment, it can help to write down:

• your symptoms and how long you’ve had them
• how severe they are
• how they affect your daily life
• any medicines you’re taking or history of mental illness in your family.

Services and support

The Queensland Government has a range of mental health services and treatment options, including:

• helplines
• counselling services
• apps and peer support
• mental health centres.

Many of these services are free and open 24 hours a day.