Shame a barrier as many delay help for mental health

More than one in five Australians feel too ashamed to seek professional support for mental health issues, with the cost of living and accessibility of care contributing to some waiting up to a decade before they get help.

A recent survey has revealed 22 per cent of people said they were not seeking support because they felt ashamed.

The figure was up from 13 per cent when the same survey was conducted in 2022.

The mental health and wellbeing check, conducted for mental health support service Beyond Blue by Australian National University's Social Research Centre, took in responses from more than 5000 people around the country.

Almost half waited until they were very or extremely distressed before they sought professional mental health support, with 30 per cent seeking support when in moderate distress.

Some waited up to 10 years before seeking support.

Beyond Blue chief executive Georgie Harman said people should not delay seeking help.

"Mental health issues or experiences of situational distress are easier to manage when we get onto them early before they snowball," she said.

"You don't need to be struggling for years before your problems are worth addressing - you don't have to be at crisis point to benefit from support."

But barriers remained, including waitlists to access treatment, struggles to afford it amid the rising cost of living, and people thinking their concerns were not serious enough, the survey revealed.

Financial pressure was a key contributor to the distress of 46 per cent of the respondents with another 34 per cent nominating housing affordability and challenges in their relationships as stress factors.

"People are dealing with compounding and mounting pressures," Ms Harman said.

"They're strung out but muddling through.

"The pressures people face can often snowball to have a real and negative impact on our mental health and wellbeing."

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