This article references self-harm and suicide statistics as part of a research report. If this topic affects you personally, please contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636 or seek support for your GP or nearest emergency department.
New national research shows that nearly 1 in 2 Australian women living with endometriosis or polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome (PMOS) report depression, adding weight to calls for mental health care to be built into physical health treatment rather than treated as separate.
The scale of the burden
Women’s Mental Health Australia’s Beyond the Surface 2026 report, which is based on a nationally-representative sample of 9000 women surveyed in April 2026, found that 56% of Australian women are experiencing mental health issues, with a quarter facing severe psychological distress.
Among women with endometriosis, 48% reported depression and 47% reported anxiety or generalised anxiety disorder, while those with PMOS recorded rates of 47% and 39% respectively, up to 2.2 times higher than women without these conditions.
“Urgent need for integrated care”
In a statement released today, Women’s Mental Health Australia says “the report underscores the urgent need for a more integrated model of care, which is nationally consistent and standardised”.
The organisation calls for every woman attending a government-funded endometriosis and pelvic pain clinic to receive integrated mental health assessment and support as part of their care
“Women’s physical and mental health issues are not experienced independently, so our health system needs to adapt instead of maintaining the status quo,” says Women’s Mental Health Australia Chief Operating Officer Katrina Locandro.
“Women deserve integrated models of care, where mental health assessment and psychological support become a standardised component of women’s health services, including endometriosis, pelvic pain, menopause, fertility and pelvic floor care.”
Female-specific conditions take significant toll on mental health
Report co-author Dr Jodie Pestana, a postdoctoral researcher in the School of Psychology at UNSW, says the data shows health professionals need to recognise and respond to the full mental health burden of female-specific conditions.
“The research uncovered that conditions like endometriosis and PMOS double or triple the risk for women to experience mental health issues like PTSD, body image distress, and self-harm,” she says.
“Health professionals need to be educated on the increased risks so they can adequately care for women.”
According to Women’s Mental Health Australia, “the disparity also extends to suicide and self-harm rates, reported by 10% of women with PMOS and 13% of women with endometriosis, compared with 4% of women across the full sample.”
“A practical and achievable next step”
Report co-author Professor Bronwyn Graham, Director of the Centre for Sex and Gender Equity in Health and Medicine, says embedding integrated mental health assessment and support into existing services was a practical and achievable next step.
“Women are being asked to manage two separate journeys, one for their body and one for their mind, and to find their own way between them at the point they are least able to,” says Professor Graham.
“The solution isn’t building an entirely new system — we simply need to strengthen existing ones by embedding routine mental health assessments, training clinicians, and creating clear referral pathways within services women already attend, such as government-funded Endometriosis and Pelvic Pain Clinics.”
Women’s Mental Health Australia notes that “while the rates of help-seeking increased in 2026, 1 in 3 women are still not seeking help for their mental health issues.”
Women seeking mental health support can speak with their GP or contact services including: Lifeline ph 13 11 14/ text 0477 13 11 14; 13YARN (139276) (for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people); Suicide Call Back Service 1300 659 467 (24/7); Beyond Blue 1300 22 4636; Butterfly National Helpline 1800 33 4673.