Psychosocial disability in Australia, 2022

In 2022, 1.7 million Australians (6.5%) had psychosocial disability, up from 1.1 million (4.6%) in 2018. Of these: 

• 61.0% had a profound or severe limitation
• 87.2% had at least one other coexisting disability
• 39.0% were employed, up from 25.7% in 2018.

In the Survey of Disability, Ageing and Carers (SDAC), a person is considered to have disability if they have any limitation, restriction or impairment which restricts everyday activities and has lasted, or is likely to last, for six months or more.

People with psychosocial disability are those who reported having:

• a nervous or emotional condition that restricts everyday activities
• a mental illness or condition that requires help or supervision
• memory problems or periods of confusion that restrict everyday activities
• social or behavioural difficulties that restrict everyday activities.

These barriers can impact a person's opportunities to participate fully and equally in society, including in areas such as education, employment and community life.

Where possible, the SDAC directly asked a person questions regarding their perception of their ability to perform a range of day-to-day activities. However, in some cases information was provided by another person (a proxy). Proxy interviews were conducted for children under 15 years, people aged 15-17 years who did not have parental consent to participate directly, and individuals unable to answer for themselves.

In the cared-accommodation component of the survey, responses were provided for each selected resident via an online questionnaire by one or more staff members of the establishment. For more information see SDAC Methodology.

The following analysis reports on selected characteristics and experiences of people with psychosocial disability. The accompanying Data downloads include data for people with psychosocial disability, other disability and no disability.

In 2022, 1.7 million Australians (6.5%) had psychosocial disability, up from 1.1 million (4.6%) in 2018. This represents an increase of around 520,000 people with psychosocial disability between 2018 and 2022.

Between 2018 and 2022 the proportion of people with psychosocial disability increased across all age groups from 5-14 years to 65-74 years.

Rates of psychosocial disability for males and females were similar (6.5% and 6.4% in 2022).

Across age, rates of psychosocial disability were highest among people aged 85 years and over (27.4%). This is largely due to the relatively high proportion of people of this age with memory problems or periods of confusion that restrict their everyday activities (22.4%).

Males aged 5-14 years had higher rates of psychosocial disability (8.2%) than females of the same age group (4.6%), largely due to higher rates of social or behavioural difficulties amongst males (6.2%) of this age group compared with females (3.4%).

People with psychosocial disability have one or more psychosocial impairments which cause limitations or restrictions in their everyday activities. In 2022 of the 1.7 million people with psychosocial disability:

• 61.9% had a nervous or emotional condition restricting everyday activities, up from 2018 (58.0%)
• 41.0% had mental illness or condition requiring help or supervision, similar to 2018 (40.2%)
• 35.6% had memory problems or periods of confusion restricting everyday activities, down from 42.3% in 2018
• 47.2% had social or behavioural difficulties restricting everyday activities, up from 41.1% in 2018.

Disability status is a measure of the severity of limitations experienced by people with disability, which helps to understand the level of assistance people with disability may need with core activities. People with psychosocial disability generally report a greater need for assistance or difficulty with core activities than those with other disability.

Of the 1.7 million Australians with psychosocial disability, 1.0 million (61.0%) had a profound or severe limitation, more than twice the rate of people with other disability (26.8%):

• 38.8% had a profound limitation
• 22.3% had a severe limitation.

The prevalence of profound or severe limitation among people with psychosocial disability varies by age. Among people with psychosocial disability:

• almost all (96.3%) of those aged 85 years and over had a profound or severe limitation
• four in five (80.4%) children aged 0-14 years had a profound or severe limitation.

In 2022, most people with psychosocial disability (87.2%) also reported having one or more other impairments or restrictions; that is, another disability in addition to their psychosocial disability. Of the 1.7 million people with psychosocial disability:

• almost two-thirds (63.4%) also had a physical disability, similar to 2018 (63.0%)
• two-fifths (40.9%) also had a learning and understanding disability, similar to 2018 (38.3%)
• one-third (33.5%) also had a sensory disability, similar to 2018 (33.4%).

A person with psychosocial disability may have a number of long-term health conditions, including those that contribute to their psychosocial disability, as well as other unrelated conditions. Of the 1.7 million people with psychosocial disability:

• 51.1% had an anxiety disorder, up from 41.8% in 2018
• 40.5% had a mood (affective) disorder, up from 35.4% in 2018
• over one-quarter (27.4%) had back problems, up from 24.7% in 2018.

While most people (1.5 million or 91.7%) with psychosocial disability lived in households, 138,500 (8.4%) lived in cared-accommodation such as nursing homes, aged care hostels and hospitals.

The remaining analysis in this article reports on the 1.5 million people with psychosocial disability living in households, unless otherwise specified.

Many people with disability require assistance with one or more aspects of daily living. Of the 1.5 million people with psychosocial disability, 83.2% (1.3 million) needed assistance with at least one activity of daily life. People with psychosocial disability most commonly needed assistance with:

• cognitive and emotional tasks (59.3% of all those with psychosocial disability)
• mobility (45.3%)
• health care (42.2%).

Given that most people with psychosocial disability had one or more coexisting disabilities, their need for assistance may not always be due to their psychosocial disability alone.

People with disability may be supported by informal providers of assistance (such as family members) and/or by formal providers (such as government or private organisations). They may seek assistance from one or more providers depending on their care needs.

Of the 1.3 million people with psychosocial disability who needed assistance with at least one activity of daily life, 92.5% (1.2 million) received assistance with at least one activity. 

Of these 1.2 million people:

• 88.9% (1.0 million) received assistance from informal providers
• 68.0% (796,000) received assistance from formal providers.

Among the 1.0 million people with psychosocial disability who received informal assistance, the most common providers of assistance were a:

• parent (33.4%)
• partner (30.1%)
• child (19.7%).

The 2022 SDAC showed that people who need assistance with daily activities may not always receive the help they need. Of the 1.3 million people with psychosocial disability who needed assistance:

• 40.9% felt their needs were fully met
• 56.5% felt their needs were partly met
• 2.6% felt their needs were not met.

Whether need for assistance was met varied by disability status. Of people with psychosocial disability with a profound or severe limitation, 37.0% felt their needs were fully met, compared with 49.7% of people with moderate or mild limitation.

In 2022, 59.9% of people with psychosocial disability aged 15 years and over had completed year 12 or higher, up from 53.4% in 2018. 

Completion of year 12 or higher by people with psychosocial disability aged 15 years and over varied by disability status:

• 52.4% of those with a profound or severe limitation, similar to 2018 (47.4%)
• 64.1% of those with a moderate or mild limitation, up from 56.3% in 2018
• 67.5% of those with a schooling or employment restriction only, similar to 2018 (64.6%). 

Of people with psychosocial disability aged 5 years and over who were studying, two-thirds (69.2%) experienced difficulties at their school or educational institution due to their condition, compared with 41.8% of those with other disability. The main difficulties reported by people with psychosocial disability were:

• emotional difficulties (49.7%)
• concentration difficulties (45.0%).

Over half (61.2%) of people with psychosocial disability aged 5 years and over who were studying received additional supports, compared with 40.9% of those with other disability. The most common support or special arrangements for those with psychosocial disability were:

• disability support person or counsellor (26.6%)
• special tuition (23.1%).

People with psychosocial disability were less likely to be in the labour force (45.7%) than those with other disability (68.9%). Of all people with psychosocial disability aged 15-64 years:

• 39.0% were employed, up from 25.7% in 2018
• 6.5% were unemployed, similar to 2018 (7.9%)
• 18.0% worked full-time, up from 10.9% in 2018.

People with psychosocial disability were more likely than those with other disability to report employment restrictions because of their disability. Around four in five (80.3%) of people aged 15-64 years with psychosocial disability reported employment restrictions, compared with around half (52.4%) of those with other disability.

Among people with psychosocial disability of working age (15-64 years), the main sources of income reported were:

• government pension or allowance (45.7%), compared with 18.9% of those with other disability
• wages or salary (31.0%), compared with 58.8% of those with other disability.

Of people with psychosocial disability aged 15-64 years:

• the median gross income was $450 per week, just over half the $803 per week income of people with other disability
• over half (51.5%) lived in households in the lowest two quintiles for equivalised gross household income, compared with 32.3% of those with other disability
• 7.3% lived in households with equivalised gross household income in the highest quintile compared to 15.0% of those with disability other than psychosocial.

Discrimination results presented here refer to unfair treatment or discrimination received because of disability in the previous 12 months.

People with psychosocial disability were more likely to experience discrimination because of their disability than those with other disability. Almost one-quarter (24.5%) of people with psychosocial disability aged 15 years and over experienced discrimination, compared with 5.2% of those with other disability:

• rates were similar for men (24.3%) and women (25.4%)
• rates of discrimination were similar to 2018 (24.1%).

Of the 1.3 million people aged 15 years and over with psychosocial disability:

• 78.0% had seen family and friends who were living outside the same household at least once per month in the last 3 months
• 82.2% had non-visit contact with family and friends who were living outside the same household at least once per week in the last 3 months
• Over four-fifths (82.6%) had support available in a time of crisis from someone not living in the same household.