A new Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI) survey has found that 36 per cent of Australian business owners have been diagnosed with a mental health condition in 2026.
Of those diagnosed with a mental disorder, the ACCI says 25 per cent suffered from anxiety, followed by depression (15 per cent) and “stress-related conditions” (11 per cent).
The number of those surveyed is not available, though all three figures are up from 2024’s survey of over 300 businesses.
A significant 87 per cent majority blame their job.
ACCI chief executive Andrew McKellar placed much of the responsibility for these figures on the government.
“Businesses have been hit again and again by increasing pressures, increasing taxes and costs, increasing fees and charges,” Mr McKellar said.
“Governments have got to wake up here.
“There is a human cost to the increasing pressures being ratcheted up on Australian business and we are calling that out – enough.”
Earlier this year, new research from Xero found nearly one in three small business owners had considered closing due to stress.
Australia’s Economic Case for Mentally Healthy and Safe Workplaces report found that workplace mental health is costing the nation $12 billion in lost gross domestic product (GDP).
This is estimated to rise to $27.2 billion by 2041-42.
“Poor mental health is an economic issue as well as a personal one. Lost productivity, higher insurance costs and staff turnover hit business every day,” Mr McKellar said.
“Fewer than one in four businesses can get expert help with workplace health hazards in a timely, cost-effective way.
“If we want to keep workers safe, businesses need better access to health experts.”
Ditching single-use cups for reusable alternatives and in-house mugs is the most recent, but small businesses have been pummelled with changes in 2026.
The Australian federal budget replaced the 50 per cent capital gains tax discount with a hard-floored, inflation-indexed model.
It also imposed a 30 per cent minimum tax rate on discretionary trusts, stripping low-income beneficiaries of their tax-free thresholds.
These reforms eliminate non-refundable tax credits for corporate companies, leaving many owners with the option of accepting a financial setback or undertaking costly and complex restructuring.
In 2024, the Australian Bureau of Statistics reported that only 21.4 per cent of Australians aged 16 to 24 had suffered from a mental health disorder in the previous 12 months.
Mr McKellar said that businesses were turning to digital technologies such as AI or digital platforms to help manage.
“One of the green shoots is in AI and digital tools,” he said.
“Businesses are already using them to help manage safety issues, and more than a third of those that do say it has helped.
“Government should support that uptake with clear guidance.”
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