Mental illness costing Australia $180 billion

The economic cost of mental illness has hit $180 billion or $500 million a day for the nation.

The Productivity Commission found one million Australians with a range of mental health conditions were going untreated each year.

One in eight visits to the GP are mental health or mental illness related and emergency visits for mental health related issues have gone up 70 per cent since 2004.

The Commission recommended sweeping policy changes to the health system, workplaces and the justice system.

Image: Getty