Western Sydney University leads landmark report on multicultural mental health

Western Sydney University researchers have led the research for a major new national report revealing that overseas-born Australians experiencing anxiety and mood disorders are more likely than those born in Australia to wait more than a decade before getting mental health support.

The State of Multicultural Mental Health in Australia research report, released by Mental Health Australia’s Embrace Multicultural Mental Health Project in partnership with Western Sydney University is the first major study of its kind since 2013.

Drawing on national data, community consultations and the latest Australian research, the report provides a snapshot of how well Australia’s mental health system is supporting multicultural communities – and where gaps remain.

Commissioned by the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing, the research was led by Associate Professor Shameran Slewa‑Younan from Western Sydney University’s School of Medicine, with her Western colleagues Distinguished Professor Andre Renzaho, Adjunct Associate Professor Ilse Blignault, Professor Kingsley Agho, and Dr Ritesh Chimoriya.

With collaborators from the University of Melbourne, the University of New South Wales and the University of Canberra, the report is intended to guide governments, service providers and the mental health sector as Australia works to strengthen equity, access and outcomes for all communities.

“This report highlights that without sustained investment, better data and genuine partnerships with multicultural communities, inequities in mental health care will persist” said report lead Associate Professor Shameran Slewa-Younan.

“The findings reinforce the importance of designing services around people’s lived experiences and multicultural community preferences,” said report co‑author Distinguished Professor Andre Renzaho.

“When support is not accessible, culturally safe or easy to navigate, people are more likely to delay seeking help, even when distress is significant,” he said.

The research shows overseas-born Australians are more likely than those born in Australia to delay treatment for more than 10 years for both anxiety (57.6 per cent compared with 49.3 per cent) and mood disorders like depression (45.7 per cent compared with 37.3 per cent).

Commonly reported barriers to help seeking include language barriers, low mental health literacy, negative stigma around mental health, difficulties navigating service systems and limited availability of culturally safe and responsive services.

Mental Health Australia CEO Carolyn Nikoloski said the report highlights the need for a mental health system that better reflects Australia’s diversity.

“Australia’s cultural diversity is one of our greatest strengths, but this research shows our mental health system is not yet working for everyone,” she said.

“Too many people from multicultural backgrounds are carrying distress on their own for years before they get support. These delays are not about willingness to seek help or lack of need. They reflect systemic barriers that must be addressed.”

The research also examines current and emerging good practice and identifies six priority recommendations to strengthen culturally responsive care, including investing in culturally tailored prevention and early support, improving access through flexible and culturally safe service models, strengthening co‑design and lived‑experience leadership, building a bilingual and bicultural mental health workforce, and improving data quality so multicultural communities are more visible in national evidence.

Ms Nikoloski said the report builds on existing work in multicultural mental health, including the Embrace Multicultural Mental Health Project, which strengthens the cultural responsiveness and inclusivity of Australia’s mental health and suicide prevention services.

“When services are designed with communities, not just for them, people seek help earlier, stay engaged and experience better wellbeing,” she said.

For more information, download and read the full report here.

ENDS.

4 May 2026
Photo credit: Vitaly Gariev via Unsplash
Media Unit