Who is Equally Well?
Equally Well Australia is a diverse collective of national, state and regional organisations, working together to improve the quality of life for people with a mental health lived experience. Its vision is to improve the life expectancy and quality of life for people living with a mental health condition, through ensuring people living with mental health issues have the same level of health care as the rest of the community.
Every day in Australia 46 people with mental illness die prematurely of potentially preventable physical health conditions, but it doesn’t have to be that way.
As a collaborative movement aiming to change this alarming statistic, we work collaboratively across the mental health and health sectors to put a national spotlight on research and evidence on the life expectancy gap, promote best practice models, embed the voice of lived expertise, co-design innovative responses to improve outcomes for people with coexisting mental health and health conditions, and in turn enable changes in how health and support services are designed and delivered.
The commonwealth, state and territory governments all formally committed to the Equally Well National Consensus Statement in 2016, and in less than 10 years have elevated the voices of lived experience experts, developed hundreds of activities and programs that are changing health policy and clinical practice to achieve our shared goal for greater health equity.
At Equally Well, we deeply value the voices and experiences of consumers and carers. Our approach is rooted in co-design and co-production, ensuring that those directly affected are at the heart of our initiatives. We believe in the power of collaborative action and collective impact to drive meaningful change.
To support this mission, we have brought together a diverse group of key stakeholders, including mental health consumers, carers, community-managed organisations, primary health networks, public mental health services, non- government organisations, researchers and professional organisations.
By centring lived experience, we aim to create a supportive and inclusive environment where every voice is heard and valued. Together, we are committed to making a positive impact on health and wellbeing.
Equally Well Australia began with a powerful idea: to prioritise the physical health of people living with mental illness equally with the rest of the population.
The National Mental Health Commission championed this vision, leading the development of this transformative initiative. In July 2017, Professor Alan Fels AO launched the Equally Well National Consensus Statement at the National Press Club, aiming to improve the physical health of those with mental illness. This statement was the result of extensive consultations, interviews, and workshops, based on both Australian and international research and policy.
Guided by an Expert Advisory Group, the initiative was shaped to reflect the real needs and experiences of the community. In 2017 Equally Well Australia was established with a government grant and in its first year 56 organisations pledged to join the Equally Well movement, committing to prioritise the physical health of people living with mental illness at all levels of communities national, state, territory, and regional.
By 2025, over 100 organisations, representing tens of thousands of change-makers, are working to develop the latest research, improve professional and clinical practices, and create community-based programs that save lives.
