One in five Australian small business owners have been diagnosed with a mental health condition in recent months, according to a new Treasury report detailing how the stigma around mental health is keeping even more proprietors from professional support.
The new report, released on Monday, details survey responses from more than 1000 sole traders and small business operators between January and February 2022, recorded as Australia entered its ‘COVID-normal’ period.
Those reporting a mental health condition diagnosis are more likely to come from manufacturing (36%) than any other sector, closely followed by retail trade (34%), accommodation and food services (34%), construction (33%), and health care and social assistance (32%).
The number of business owners reporting a mental health diagnosis fell six points between mid-2020 and early 2022, from 28% to 22%, reflecting the shift from pandemic uncertainty to broad economic optimism in the first months of 2022.
Finding a balance between work and personal commitments was the top stressor in early 2022, overtaking lockdown concerns.
However, the latest figures may underrepresent the true proportion of mental health conditions in the small business sector, as 58% of respondents said they would not consider turning to a GP, counsellor, or mental health professional for support.
Small business owners are more comfortable talking about mental health than in 2020, yet a stigma around mental health diagnoses remains a “key issue in the small business sector”, the report states.
Forces driving that reluctance include the belief that such diagnoses can lead to biased treatment: 46% of respondents either agreed or strongly agreed with the statement “Small business owners will be treated poorly if they were to disclose they had been diagnosed with a mental illness”, while 28% said they would feel “embarrassed” if they asked for help.
“Since the 2020 Survey, more small business respondents are seeking support from family, more are looking online for support, and more are going to a GP or a mental health professional, there is still work to be done to help address the stigma associated with the need for mental health support,” the report states.
“While COVID-19 has opened up conversations about mental health, change in attitudes towards mental ill-health is slow and most small business owners do not seem to feel comfortable discussing their concerns, particularly with professionals in the field.”
Small business owners feeling stressed or anxious have little to lose by speaking to a professional, says former COSBOA chief and small business advocate Peter Strong.
“Go and see someone,” Strong told SmartCompany. “There are people out there in the community health sector, and there are doctors. Go and see them and talk to them.”
Among business owners seeking mental health support, 54% said the cost of those services was a barrier to them accessing help.
A lack of time (49%), the perception that support services do not understand the needs of small business (39%), and a lack of availability outside of business hours (29%) were also cited as key concerns.
Those findings were critical to the $10.9 million extension of the NewAccess for Small Business Owners Program — a free service pairing callers with trained mental health professionals with backgrounds in the SME space.
NewAccess for Small Business Owners provides callers with up to six structured sessions, with no GP referral or mental health plan required to participate.
However, awareness of the scheme remains low. The report states only 12% of respondents knew of its existence in early 2022, and just 1% used the service after becoming aware of it.
Increasing access and awareness of mental health support services will require more tweaking in the months ahead, particularly to meet the needs of culturally and linguistically diverse business owners, the report states.
“While there have been inroads into improving small business owners’ mental health, and services have become more tailored, further nuancing of supports is needed to take account of the complexity of ways small business owners react to and interact with their environments; differences in approaches to mental health and wellbeing; and the diversity and richness of the small business community,” it stated.
If you or someone you know is at risk of harm, call Lifeline now on: 13 11 14
You call also contact Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636; Headspace on 1800 650 890; or The Suicide Call Back Service on 1300 659 467.
Senior Business Journalist
Focused on the small business sector, David’s work covers the political, regulatory, and economic issues facing Australian entrepreneurs. Prior to joining SmartCompany, he was a reporter for Business Insider Australia. You can follow him on LinkedIn.
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