Navigating Mental Illness

12 July

Mental Health in Australia

I recently came across the National Study of Mental Health and Wellbeing.

According to this study, in 2020–2022:

42.9% of people aged 16–85 years had experienced a mental disorder at some time in their life
21.5% of people had experienced a mental disorder in the twelve months leading up to the study, with anxiety being the most common disorder (17.2% of people aged 16–85 years)
38.8% of people aged 16–24 years had experienced a mental disorder in the 12 months leading up to the study.[1]

The study also said that more than one-quarter (26%) of Australians aged 16–24 (males 23%, females 30%) had experienced some kind of mental illness in the previous 12 months, compared with 1 in 6 (16%) Australians aged 25–85.

If this rate for Australians aged 16–24 had been applied to the population in 2020 (when the study was conducted), it would suggest that more than one million young Australians (males 486,000, females 607,000) experienced mental illness in the previous 12 months.

Mental illness is a big deal among Australians and an even bigger deal among young Australians.

Most of us have known young people who have struggled with mental illness. Many of us have battled with it ourselves. Some of us have even known people who have died from mental illness.

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I’ve recently been spending a lot of time in Philippians, a book of the Bible known for its dramatic emphasis on joy and rejoicing.

How can we experience joy in a climate so impacted by mental illness?

And why would we listen to a book of the Bible written by some religious guy from 2000 years ago who had probably never heard of the concept of “mental health” or “mental illness”?

Listening to Paul

It’s true—Paul, the writer of Philippians, had never heard of the concept of “mental health”. But that doesn’t mean he’s not worth listening to.

A few reasons why we should listen to Paul:

1. He gets suffering

First, he gets suffering more than most of us. The guy is in prison (Philippians 1:7). He’s had to struggle (Philippians 1:29-30). He’s experienced grief (Philippians 2:27). He understands poverty and hunger (Philippians 4:12). He’s had a rough slog. Still not convinced? Check out 2 Corinthians 11:23–33. This guy understands pain more than most.

2. He’s wrestled with questions of life and death

He’s also had to wrestle with questions of life and death. In Philippians 1, he reflects:

21 For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. 22 If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labour for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! 23 I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far.

I don’t take this to mean that he was necessarily experiencing suicidal thoughts. But he certainly had to wrestle with questions to do with life and death and what is better. I know of many people—Christians even—who, in moments of depression, have been able to relate to Paul’s struggle here.

3. He understands anxiety

In Philippians 4:6, Paul famously says, “Do not be anxious about anything”. You hear this and wonder what this guy could possibly know about anxiety. Surely anyone who says not to worry has never experienced it. But, actually, he has. He admits to it in Philippians 2:28, as well as in 2 Corinthians 2:12-13 and 2 Corinthians 11:28.

4. He’s learned the secret of contentment

And then there’s the fact that he’s learned the secret of contentment (Philippians 4:12). If someone has experienced suffering, wrestled with questions of life and death, understands anxiety and then tells you that he’s learned the secret of contentment, he’s probably worth listening to!

So, what does Paul have to say that can help us think through mental health stuff? I reckon it’s worth turning to what he says about joy. See my next post for more on this.

Notes

[1] Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, “Prevalence and Impact of Mental Illness,” Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 14 February, 2024, https://www.aihw.gov.au/mental-health/overview/prevalence-and-impact-of-mental-illness.

Martin Robinson