Yahoo Finance Cost-of-living crisis taking its toll on women like Elnaz’s mental health
More than half of Aussie females say their mental health has been negatively impacted by the cost of living.
Elnaz Rafiee was diagnosed with depression when she was in her early teens and says her mental health is a daily battle.
“It’s been a really long road and, just as you think you are out of the clear, something else happens. I got pregnant and was diagnosed with perinatal anxiety and post-natal depression,” Elnaz told Yahoo Finance.
“It’s an everyday battle, it’s never going away, but I have been dealing with it for well over 15 years.”
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Now, the cost-of-living crisis is bringing added pressure. The Melbourne mum said rising costs were “consuming” her and her partner, and they were worried about what the future held.
The couple recently moved an hour away from their previous home to Langwarrin after their rent was increased from $450 to $570 per week.
“I’m already thinking about when our lease is up and I’m terrified if they are going to raise the rent because this is the absolute maximum we are going to be able to afford,” Elnaz said.
“It’s sad that those things are already playing on our mind and I don’t want to waste my energy and my time stressing about things like this when there are so many more important things I could be focusing on.”
Cost-of-living pressures
Elnaz is originally from New Zealand, while her partner is from Ireland. She said they hadn’t been able to afford to visit their families since their son Kian was born nine months ago.
“My partner’s family has not met our son. My sister and brother have not met my son. That really breaks our hearts that we can’t just go and see our families that easily. We would have to sacrifice so much more in order to do that,” she said.
Elnaz said her everyday expenses, including rent, electricity, gas and baby products, were some of her biggest financial concerns right now.
Rising costs also meant she returned to work as a travel agent just five months after giving birth to her son - which was earlier than she was comfortable with - so she could provide financially for her family.
“We would really love to have more children and, at the moment, that’s definitely something on the backburner because I don’t know how we can physically afford another child right now,” she said.
Not alone
Elnaz isn’t the only one whose mental health has been affected by the rising cost of living. New research from the Liptember Foundation found cost-of-living pressures were negatively impacting the mental health of more than half (59 per cent) of Australian females.
The top trigger for mental health issues caused by cost-of-living pressures was increased everyday living expenses (78 per cent), including groceries, petrol and utilities, the survey of 4,860 women found.
This was followed by uncertainty for the future (61 per cent) and having less money to do the things that made them feel good (60 per cent), including socialising with friends.
Liptember Foundation CEO and founder Luke Morris said Aussie women were suffering from a “mental health paradox”, with one in three admitting they hadn’t sought help because they couldn’t afford it.
“Financial pressures are worsening women’s mental health, yet at the same time, a growing number of those who suffer from mental health issues say they can’t afford to seek the help they so desperately need,” Morris said.
“With no ease to the cost-of-living pressures in sight, sadly, we are likely to see women’s mental health suffering as a result in the coming years.”
Don’t be ashamed
Elnaz joined the Liptember community three years ago and said it helped her feel less alone.
“I think that is really important because, with mental illness and mental health in general, you can feel really lonely, and there is a lot of shame attached to it, which there shouldn’t be,” she said.
She said a lot of people were struggling with the cost of living right now and there was no shame in being honest with your friends and getting support, even though it could be difficult.
“Someone out there will listen eventually and it will be the right person. If I didn't have that one person who was willing to listen to me when I talked about me needing help, I wouldn’t be here,” Elnaz said.
“There is someone out there for everyone and people out there who are willing to listen and understand. That’s what we need when it comes to mental health.”
Readers seeking support and information about suicide prevention can contact Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636, Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Suicide Call Back Service on 1300 659 467.
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