About 20% of the workforce has some form of mental health problem, a leading psychologist says.

“These can be divided into two groups: those who are having treatment and those who don’t think they have a problem,” Michael Carr-Gregg told the recent Financial Planning Association conference.

“Anxiety disabilities affect about 14% of the adult population, and about 6% have depression.”

Dr Carr-Gregg says good mental health is about wellbeing, confidence and self-esteem.

Over the past five years in Australia about 2400 people have taken their own life each year. In 2012 more males (1901) did so than females (634).

“The trend for men committing suicide is moving down but the female rate is steady,” Dr Carr-Gregg said. “The highest rate for male suicide is [aged] 85 plus, and the next group is between 80 and 84. Suicide is a problem-solving device for some people.”

He says mental illness may be genetic, putting some people at higher risk.

“Some people with mental illness also have had a family member with a similar problem.

“They have a gene that might be woken up and an event triggers mental illness.”

It seems many people have the gene, but in most it is not triggered.

“There are good chances of recovery if treated, but it is ongoing support that is also needed for a full recovery,” Dr Carr-Gregg said. “The first port of call for somebody with a mental illness should be… their own general practitioner.

“Then it is changing people’s perceptions, so if they talk about the three good things that happened in their day, and continue this for 21 days, they will see the positives. It’s these things that influence our feelings.”