Jean Hailes Women’s Health Week 2026 is an opportunity to talk openly about women’s mental health and the factors that can influence it across different stages of life. Anxiety and depression, hormonal and reproductive changes, pregnancy and early parenthood, menopause, workplace pressures and caring responsibilities can all affect mental wellbeing. Understanding these influences matters — not because every woman will experience mental ill-health, but because recognising when someone is struggling can make it easier to offer meaningful support.
Running from 7–11 September 2026, Jean Hailes Women’s Health Week is Australia’s largest event dedicated to the health and wellbeing of women, girls and gender-diverse people. This year’s theme is “do it anyway”, encouraging small, realistic steps towards better health. One of the week’s daily themes, “To breathe”, is specifically devoted to mental wellbeing and the many influences that can shape it throughout life. (Jean Hailes)
That makes this a good time to consider not only how women can look after their own mental health, but how workplaces, families and communities can become better at noticing when someone needs support.
Key Takeaways
- Women experience mental health challenges within a complex mix of biological, psychological and social influences.
- Anxiety and depression represent a significant health burden among Australian women.
- Menstrual cycles, pregnancy, the perinatal period, perimenopause and menopause can influence mental and emotional wellbeing for some women.
- Caring responsibilities and the mental load associated with work and family life can add substantial pressure.
- Accredited Mental Health First Aid training can help people recognise concerning changes, start supportive conversations and encourage appropriate professional help.
Women’s Mental Health Is Not a Single Story
Talking about “women’s mental health” can sometimes create the impression that there is one universal female experience.
There isn’t.
A teenager experiencing severe premenstrual symptoms, a new mother struggling with anxiety, a woman managing work alongside caring for an ageing parent, and someone navigating menopause may have completely different experiences.
There are also important differences associated with age, culture, financial circumstances, relationships, employment, physical health and access to healthcare.
What the evidence does show is that some mental health conditions carry a substantial burden for Australian women. Australian Institute of Health and Welfare data for 2024 found that anxiety disorders accounted for the greatest disease burden among mental and substance use disorders for females, followed by depressive disorders and eating disorders. (AIHW)
Statistics are useful, but there is a person behind every number.
Mental health difficulties may look like someone withdrawing from colleagues, losing confidence, becoming unusually irritable, struggling to concentrate or simply seeming less like themselves. Sometimes the signs are obvious. Sometimes they are remarkably easy to miss.
This is one reason mental health literacy matters.
What matters is persistent change over time. When someone who’s typically engaged starts withdrawing consistently. When reliable performance begins deteriorating without clear explanation. When small shifts in behaviour accumulate into noticeable patterns that may indicate an underlying mental health condition.
Through our RULES framework at Mental Health Pro—Recognise, Understand, Listen, Encourage, Suggest—we teach people to identify these signs early. The first step, Recognition, relies on observing changes that persist beyond normal workplace ups and downs. Recognising the signs of mental health difficulties is the foundation of creating a supportive work environment.
The Relationship Between Hormones and Mental Health Is Complex
Hormones are frequently mentioned in discussions about women’s mental health — sometimes too casually.
It is important not to attribute every change in mood or behaviour to hormones. Depression is not simply “hormonal”, and neither is anxiety. Mental health is influenced by many interacting factors.
At the same time, hormonal and reproductive changes can have a genuine impact on mental wellbeing for some women.
Premenstrual symptoms provide one example. Many women experience some physical or emotional changes before a period. A smaller proportion experience premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD), a severe condition that can cause significant emotional and psychological distress.
Jean Hailes identifies symptoms of PMDD including pronounced mood changes, irritability, feelings of depression or hopelessness, anxiety, problems concentrating and loss of interest in usual activities. Importantly, PMDD can significantly affect work, relationships and everyday life. (Jean Hailes)
The distinction matters.
Dismissing significant distress as “just PMS” can minimise what someone is experiencing. If symptoms are severe, persistent, cyclical or interfering with everyday life, medical assessment is appropriate.
A supportive friend, colleague or family member doesn’t need to decide what is causing those symptoms. Their role can be much simpler: notice, listen and encourage the person to seek appropriate help.
Pregnancy and Early Parenthood Can Bring Mental Health Challenges
Pregnancy and having a baby are often portrayed as joyful periods. They certainly can be — but that does not make them psychologically easy.
Pregnancy, childbirth and early parenthood can involve enormous changes in identity, relationships, sleep, finances, work and daily routine. Pregnancy or infant loss, fertility difficulties and traumatic birth experiences can add further emotional strain.
Australian Government health information estimates that around one in five expectant and new mothers experience perinatal depression or anxiety. (Department of Health)
These difficulties can sometimes be hidden behind expectations about how motherhood is “supposed” to feel.
A woman may love her baby deeply and still be struggling.
Someone close to her might notice that she seems persistently anxious, overwhelmed, withdrawn or unlike herself. Rather than assuming that she simply needs to “get some sleep” or will eventually adjust, a supportive conversation can create an opening for professional help.
The Australian Government now funds specialised Perinatal Mental Health Centres offering psychological support to eligible new and expectant parents, including people affected by pregnancy or infant loss and traumatic birth. (Department of Health)
Early support matters, and so does having people around a woman who recognise that asking how she is coping is not an intrusion. Sometimes it is exactly the conversation that needs to happen.
Perimenopause and Menopause Can Affect More Than Physical Health
For years, public conversations about menopause tended to focus heavily on hot flushes.
We now talk much more openly about sleep, cognition and mental wellbeing too.
Jean Hailes reports that women can experience mood changes, anxiety, depression and difficulty concentrating around menopause. Hormonal changes may play a role, but so can the other pressures that often coincide with midlife, including work, finances and caring responsibilities. (Jean Hailes)
That last point is important.
A woman in her forties or fifties may simultaneously be managing a demanding career, supporting teenage or adult children, helping ageing parents, navigating relationship changes and experiencing disrupted sleep or menopausal symptoms.
It can become difficult to identify where one pressure ends and another begins.
Someone who was previously confident at work may suddenly struggle with concentration. Another person might become increasingly anxious or experience a noticeable drop in mood.
These experiences should not automatically be attributed to menopause — but menopause shouldn’t automatically be ruled out either.
Jean Hailes recommends seeking medical advice for strong emotions, anxiety or depression around menopause. (Jean Hailes)
For colleagues and managers, the useful lesson is simpler: avoid assumptions and take changes in wellbeing seriously.
The Caring Load Deserves More Attention
Many women spend significant parts of their lives caring for other people.
Children may be the most obvious example, but caring can also involve partners, parents, relatives, friends and people living with disability, illness or age-related needs.
Australian Bureau of Statistics data demonstrates how significant the gender difference can be. In 2022, 67.7% of Australia’s primary carers were female. Female primary carers were also more likely than male primary carers to provide 40 hours or more of care each week. (Australian Bureau of Statistics)
Then there is unpaid work more broadly.
ABS estimates show that females continue to undertake more unpaid care than males. In the September quarter of 2024, unpaid care undertaken by females was valued at approximately $202.9 billion, compared with $105.5 billion for males. (Australian Bureau of Statistics)
Those figures reveal something that can otherwise remain invisible.
Caring isn’t necessarily a problem. It can be meaningful, loving and deeply important. But sustained responsibility without enough rest, support or time for yourself can become exhausting.
Carers themselves report poorer wellbeing outcomes. AIHW notes that carers report lower personal wellbeing, quality of life and mental health than the Australian population, while high to very high psychological distress has also been reported among a substantial proportion of carers surveyed. (AIHW)
For some women, the challenge isn’t simply having too much to do. It is feeling responsible for remembering everything that needs to be done.
Appointments. School activities. Medication. Shopping. Birthdays. Elderly parents. Household administration. Work deadlines.
That mental load doesn’t always show up on a calendar, but it can still take a toll.
When “Coping” Doesn't Mean Everything Is Fine
One of the difficulties with recognising mental health problems is that people can continue functioning while struggling.
- They still arrive at work.
- They answer emails.
- They make dinner.
- They collect the children.
- They ask everyone else how they are doing.
From the outside, everything can look normal.
This is why waiting for an obvious crisis is not a particularly good strategy for supporting mental health.
Changes are often more informative than stereotypes about what mental illness is supposed to look like.
Perhaps a colleague who usually enjoys conversation has become withdrawn. Someone who is normally organised seems increasingly overwhelmed. A friend has stopped attending activities she previously enjoyed. A family member seems constantly exhausted, worried or irritable.
None of these signs proves that someone has a mental health condition. They can, however, give us a reason to check in.
A Supportive Conversation Doesn't Require Perfect Words
People often hesitate to ask about mental health because they worry about saying the wrong thing. That hesitation is understandable, but it can also leave someone struggling in silence.
You don’t need a diagnosis before asking whether somebody is okay. You don’t need to understand exactly what she is experiencing. And you certainly don’t need to arrive with a solution.
A useful starting point can simply be choosing an appropriate private moment, mentioning the changes you have noticed and asking how she is going.
Then listen.
Resist the temptation to immediately compare her experience with your own or tell her what she should do. Avoid dismissive reassurance such as suggesting she simply needs a holiday, more exercise or a positive attitude.
If someone talks about anxiety, depression, burnout or another mental health concern, take the experience seriously. The next step may involve encouraging appropriate professional support from a GP, psychologist or another relevant health professional.
This is where Mental Health Courses can make a practical difference.
Mental Health First Aid Gives People a Framework for Helping
Physical first aid training doesn’t turn somebody into a paramedic.
Mental Health First Aid works on a similar principle: the role is not to diagnose or provide therapy.
Instead, training can help people become more confident recognising when someone may be developing a mental health problem, experiencing a worsening problem or facing a mental health crisis. It provides a structured approach to offering initial support and encouraging appropriate professional help.
That distinction is particularly important in workplaces.
Managers and colleagues should not attempt to diagnose depression, decide whether someone’s symptoms are caused by menopause or interrogate an employee about private medical information.
- They can, however, notice concerning changes.
- They can start a respectful conversation.
- They can listen.
- And they can encourage someone to access appropriate support.
Recognised Mental Health Courses with Mental Health Pro can help participants develop the knowledge and confidence to have these conversations more effectively — skills that can be valuable at work, at home and throughout the wider community.
What Can Workplaces Do During Women’s Health Week?
Women’s Health Week provides workplaces with a useful reason to start conversations that should continue well beyond September.
This doesn’t necessarily require a large corporate wellbeing campaign.
A workplace might hold a discussion about women’s mental health, share reliable information about menopause or perinatal mental health, review employee support pathways, encourage managers to undertake mental health training or simply make it clearer where staff can seek confidential help.
The quality of the conversation matters more than the size of the event.
Workplaces should also be cautious about placing responsibility entirely on individual women to become more resilient. Mental wellbeing is influenced by working conditions too.
Reasonable workloads, supportive management, respectful behaviour, appropriate flexibility and psychologically safe communication all matter.
Mental Health First Aid training can form one part of that broader approach. It gives people practical skills for responding when they become concerned about someone, but it does not replace an organisation’s responsibility to provide a safe and healthy workplace.
For organisations wanting to strengthen those skills, Mental Health Pro provides recognised Mental Health training designed to help people respond more confidently and appropriately when someone may be experiencing a mental health problem.
Make the Conversation Bigger Than One Week
The real value of Jean Hailes Women’s Health Week is not what happens between 7 and 11 September – It is what happens afterwards.
- Perhaps someone finally books an appointment she has been postponing.
- Perhaps a manager becomes more comfortable starting a sensitive conversation.
- Perhaps a partner begins to understand the weight of a caring load that had previously gone unnoticed.
- Or perhaps somebody recognises that a friend hasn’t seemed herself lately and decides to check in.
Jean Hailes describes the 2026 theme, “do it anyway”, as being about taking small steps towards health even when life is busy, messy or uncertain. (Jean Hailes)
When it comes to mental health, one of those small steps can be learning how to notice, listen and respond.
We cannot remove every pressure facing the women around us. Nor can friends, colleagues and family members take the place of qualified mental health professionals.
But we can become better at recognising when somebody may be struggling — and more confident about starting the conversation that helps her take the next step.
Explore Mental Health training with Mental Health Pro and learn practical skills for supporting the mental health of people in your workplace, family and community.
References
Jean Hailes For Women’s Health – How to manage menopausal symptoms
Jean Hailes For Women’s Health – Driving better health for women in Australia
Jean Hailes For Women’s Health – Women’s Health Week
Jean Hailes For Women’s Health – Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD)
Dept. Of Health, Disability and Ageing – Perinatal Mental Health Centres
Frequently Asked Questions
When is Jean Hailes Women’s Health Week 2026?
Jean Hailes Women’s Health Week 2026 runs from Monday 7 September to Friday 11 September 2026. It is Australia’s largest event dedicated to the health and wellbeing of women, girls and gender-diverse people. The 2026 theme is “do it anyway”, focusing on achievable steps people can take towards their health. (Jean Hailes)
Are anxiety and depression common mental health concerns for Australian women?
Yes. Australian Institute of Health and Welfare burden-of-disease data shows that anxiety and depressive disorders account for a substantial proportion of the mental health burden experienced by Australian females. However, individual experiences vary considerably, and mental health should never be assessed on statistics alone. (AIHW)
Can hormonal changes affect women's mental health?
They can for some women. Menstrual-cycle changes, pregnancy and the perinatal period, and the transition through perimenopause and menopause may be associated with changes in mood or mental wellbeing. Hormones are only part of the picture, however, and persistent or severe mental health symptoms should be discussed with an appropriate healthcare professional. (Jean Hailes)
How can I support a woman who seems to be struggling with her mental health?
Choose an appropriate time and private setting, explain what you have noticed without making assumptions, ask how she is going and listen without judgement. If you are concerned about her wellbeing, encourage appropriate professional support. Mental Health training can provide a more structured framework for recognising and responding to mental health problems.
What does Mental Health First Aid training teach?
Mental Health First Aid training teaches participants how to recognise and respond to someone who may be developing or experiencing a mental health problem or mental health crisis. The role of a Mental Health First Aider is to provide initial support and encourage appropriate professional help — not to diagnose or provide treatment. Mental Health Pro offers recognised Mental Health training for people who want to build these practical support skills.
