Study shows the pandemic further worsened declining mental health

In an extensive new report by the University of Melbourne, the effects of the early pandemic on the wellbeing of Australians has been revealed. The results from the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia survey show Victorians and, in particular, those living in Melbourne were especially affected by the 2020 lockdown measures.

A new study involving more than 17 thousand participants measuring the wellbeing effects of the 2020 COVID-19 outbreak and the following lockdown shows 45 per cent of respondents thought the pandemic had made their lives worse.

The results of the latest Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia Survey, or the HILDA report , have been released by the University of Melbourne's Applied Economic & Social Research team.

The HILDA report shows that mental health deterioration early on in the pandemic was substantial, with the most significant drop-off seen in young Australians, aged between 15 and 34.