A roadmap for better multicultural mental health in Australia

I was honoured last week to meet Adriel Appathurai, a youth mental health advocate who works with some of our member organisations, including Orygen and Prevention United. Adriel generously shared his personal story with SBS to highlight the launch a new research report from our Embrace Multicultural Mental Health Project, The State of Multicultural Mental Health in Australia.

At two years old, Adriel’s family came to Australia as Tamil refugees. Growing up, he internalised messages about needing to be strong, resilient and able to cope on his own. He described how support existed, but felt distant, shaped by stigma, silence and not seeing people who looked like him or shared his experiences reflected in mental health conversations.

Adriel’s story illustrates why this research matters. It reflects what we hear from many multicultural communities across the country – that culture, language and lived experience shape how they understand mental health and reach out for support – and that our mental health system needs to respond to this diversity.

The research, led by Embrace in partnership with Western Sydney University, is the first national snapshot of multicultural mental health in more than a decade, and it tells us clearly that our mental health system is not yet working for everyone.

It draws on national data, community consultations and the latest Australian research to understand how well our mental health system is supporting multicultural communities, and where gaps remain.

The report found that overseas‑born Australians are more likely than those born in Australia to delay seeking support for more than ten years for anxiety and mood disorders. These delays are not about a lack of need or willingness to seek help. They reflect barriers such as stigma, low mental health literacy, language challenges, difficulties navigating the system, and a shortage of culturally safe services.

The report also offers a clear roadmap forward. It points to what works, including prevention and early support, culturally responsive and flexible service models, a stronger bilingual and bicultural workforce, better data, and genuine partnerships with communities. We know that when stigma is addressed in culturally meaningful ways, and when services are designed with communities rather than for them, people are more likely to seek help earlier and stay connected.

Australia’s cultural diversity is one of our greatest strengths. Our mental health system must reflect this. If governments, services and the sector act on the report’s recommendations, we can build a system that works for everyone, where stories like Adriel’s are met with understanding, respect and timely support.

At Mental Health Australia, through Embrace and our broader work, we remain committed to listening, learning and acting alongside communities to make this vision a reality.