Despite improvements in mental health, urgent
challenges to help those in need still remain. That's the overwhelming
sentiment from some of Australia's leading mental health experts.
This year marks the 10th anniversary of the
highly regarded Australian Mental Health Prize. As nominations open for the
2025 prize, leading mental health advocates reflect on a decade of
transformation, and the urgent challenges that remain.
Established by UNSW Sydney, the Prize
honours Australians who have made outstanding contributions to mental health
across four categories:
Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander, Lived
Experience, Professional, and Community Hero.
“This milestone year is an opportunity to
reflect on how far we’ve come — and where we need to go next,” said Adjunct
Professor Sophie Scott, Chair of the Australian Mental Health Prize Advisory
Group and award-winning journalist and author.
“It’s a chance to recognise the individuals and
community leaders who are making a real difference, often with little fanfare
and limited support.”
Over the past decade, the Prize has spotlighted
leading clinicians, researchers, advocates, peer workers, educators and
community leaders. Many have influenced national mental health policy, shaped
new models of care, and driven cultural change within their own communities.
Professor Gordon Parker, 2020 recipient and
founder of the Black Dog Institute, said Australia must continue to value
rigorous research and independent thinking — particularly as new approaches to
treatment emerge.
“There is promising work being done in fields
like the gut-brain connection and mood disorders, but we must stay
evidence-based and challenge ideas that don’t hold up. We also need to do more
to support the next generation of researchers. Without them, innovation
stalls.”
Professor Juli Coffin, the 2024 winner, works
with Aboriginal young people in regional Western Australia. She said mental and
physical health must be treated together — and that relational, culturally
grounded care must be properly funded.
“People are realising that wraparound,
community-led models work. The challenge is that they’re often overlooked in
favour of programs that continue to deliver little impact. We need to shift how
success is measured — and who gets to define it.”
Professor Kimberlie Dean, forensic psychiatrist
at UNSW Sydney and member of the Prize Advisory Group, said the past decade has
seen progress in recognising lived experience and community-led innovation, but
significant gaps remain.
“We’ve seen encouraging growth in the peer
workforce and online service delivery. Yet the burden of mental ill-health,
especially among young people, continues to rise. The system must evolve to
better support what we know works — and do so at scale.”
As part of this milestone year, past winners
are also sharing their advice to the next generation of changemakers —
from championing lived experience and challenging broken systems, to leading
with courage, kindness and conviction.
“Have the courage to not know and let the
people most affected provide the answers you don’t have,” said Dr
Louise Byrne, 2024 recipient and Director of Lived Experience Training.
“That’s how we build a system that actually works — by listening deeply,
challenging old assumptions, and backing real-world knowledge.”
“Be kind to the marginalised, and lead with
love, truth and conviction,” said Megan Krakouer, 2023 recipient and Director
of the National Suicide Prevention and Trauma Recovery Project. “Real change
starts with honesty, integrity and heart.”
Professor Attila Brungs, UNSW
Vice-Chancellor and President, said the Prize reflects the university’s
commitment to fostering long-term, evidence-based impact through trusted
partnerships.
“For a decade, the Australian Mental Health
Prize has helped shine a light on those advancing mental health outcomes in
communities across Australia,” Professor Brungs said. “We remain dedicated
to critical societal conversations about mental health and driving collective
impact in this space.”
Nominations for the 2025 Australian Mental
Health Prize are now open and close on July 23, 2025.
Further reflections from past winners and
Advisory Group members are available here.
Discover what they believe has changed — and what must come next.
More information visit: www.australianmentalhealthprize.org.au