Matron Iris
Good news for the over-45s, and I'll take it. Sit down, it doesn't happen often.
The HILDA survey has followed more than 17,000 Australians every year since 2001. On two thinking tests, one with numbers backwards and one matching symbols to digits, people aged 45 and older did better on average than in 2012. Men 65 and over reported better mental health, against the trend.
Now the other side. Women across most age groups reported worse mental health since 2001, young women aged 15 to 24 most of all. Younger Australians also did worse on those same tests.
It's a survey, so it tells us what, not why. My question is what the older blokes are doing right, and why the young women are carrying it. I'd fund that study tomorrow.
Talk to your GP or health professional about your own body.
Source: ABC News, 2026-09-25
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