Mental illness is the second leading cause of disability burden in Australia.

Despite new figures showing the Disability Support Pension (DSP) will cost $5 billion less per decade than forecast, there’ll be more new recipients with psychological impairments on the DSP than any other disability.

More so, the number of men under the age of 40 with debilitating depression seems to be rapidly increasing.

Men under 40 with psychological and intellectual conditions account for three times as many DSP recipients than women.

To find out why, Chris Smith speaks with Professor Ian Hickey from University of Sydney’s Brain and Mind Institute.

“In the past, young men who went to the DSP typically went in saying they had largely muscular, skeletal injuries when in truth, many of them actually had mental problems.

“So one [reason] is awareness raising.

“Women go get help, many of the men who are going down this route haven’t received appropriate medical, psychological help.

“You’ve got a vicious cycle of people stuck at the bottom of this.

“Although awareness has gone up in Australia… providing help hasn’t.”

Listen to the full interview below