Australian women’s mental health and wellbeing in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020

The purpose of this report is to highlight the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and related policies on the mental health of women in Australia, including the impact of economic factors and women’s safety. Data collected fortnightly by the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women’s Health (ALSWH) for a six-month period in 2020, linked with existing ALSWH data, were analysed. Results were from three age cohorts of women who were 25-31, 42-47, and 69-74 in 2020. This summary includes the key findings of the research, and priority areas identified in the report that may provide opportunities for policy development.