Calls to address Australia's mental health service shortfall as women, often mothers, slip through the cracks
A growing number of Australian women in their 40s and 50s are slipping through the cracks of the country's mental health system, with advocates warning that this silent crisis is worsening and urgent action is needed.
Often juggling multiple roles as carers, professionals, and mothers, many women experience unaddressed and untreated mental health challenges, particularly following trauma, family violence, or the pressures of caregiving.
They are often left to navigate their darkest moments alone.
For women like Lesley, the health system failed to catch her when she needed it most.
'It was more than the baby blues,' she told 7NEWS.
'I couldn't be a mum, I couldn't be myself.
'I had to do something otherwise I wouldn't have been able to actually look after my children.'
Lesley's story is similar to many others.
Mental health organisation SANE reports that nearly one in two Australian mums will likely face a mental health issue in their lifetime.
Many mothers are carrying an extraordinary emotional and physical load.
'Women are more likely to be primary carers and that's on top of the general mental load that we know women often carry, organising, doing the worrying, doing the coordinating of appointments,' SANE chief executive Rachel Green said.
'That's a huge burden for Australian women and mums in particular when they're faced with trying to manage their own wellbeing and that of the family as a whole.'
Despite the growing crisis, mental health services targeted for middle-aged women are sparse.
Many like Terese, a mother of three living with bipolar disorder, manage by seeking out support within the women in her community.
'I developed a depression and it went untreated. Then the following year I had a manic episode,' she told 7NEWS.
'I would just say to women, you can have mental health that's really well treated, but you can still have episodes.
'You've got to reach out, you've got to form second, third-tier social networks around you.'
Both Lesley and Terese turned to online communities for support.
Two-thirds of online enquiries to SANE now come from women.
But even online, resources designed specifically for this demographic remain limited.
'It's still the mums doing the navigating,' Green said.
'They're doing the searching and trying to find help for themselves and for their families.'
Advocates say the burden cannot continue to fall solely on women.
They are calling for a shift that includes not only expanded mental health services but also better support in the workplace.
'Employers should be thinking about what are their policies to support mums in the workplace who are playing carer roles, who need to be able to take that time to go and manage appointments, because that's an investment,' Green said.
'I often say that you hire a mum who knows how to get stuff done in the 40-minute window when a newborn sleeps. That's like a superpower.'
Terese agrees and has urged others not to suffer in silence.
'Don't go it alone. Don't just bottle it all up,' she said.
'It can be overwhelming. So reach out.'
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