The Psychosocial Health Crisis Within Australian Universities
Australia's universities have a hidden wellbeing crisis. The data is now public - so what is next?
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Although there has been multiple government reviews, including the Australian Universities Accord and Senate Inquiry, the mental health and wellbeing of university staff have remained largely overlooked.
A Sector-Wide Warning
The 2025 Australian University Census on Staff Wellbeing was launched as a public health initiative designed to measure the scale of psychosocial risk across Australia's higher education sector.
The results, drawn from nearly 11,500 staff across 42 universities, paint a deeply concerning picture.
The Census shows that 44% of university staff respondents are working in very high psychosocial risk environments.
The national benchmark for Australian workers sits at just 11–12%. That is four times the national benchmark, and a sector-wide public health concern that requires urgent and coordinated action.
What is Psychosocial Climate (PSC) ?
Psychosocial Safety Climate (PSC) —measures the organisational climate that either protects or erodes workers' psychological health. It provides insight about whether workers believe that senior leadership are genuinely committed to psychological health and safety and whether they are appropriately consulted.
PSC captures four key dimensions:
- Senior management commitment to stress prevention
- The priority placed on psychological health versus productivity
- Open communication about work stress and safety
- Genuine participation and consultation at all levels of an organisation
PSC can be considered a lag indicator of psychosocial risk management.
The five-wave ARC funded study ( 2020 - 2024) and longitudinal research uncovered widespread and deep mental health challenges driven by restructures, excessive job demands and a well known productivity-and-profit agenda — all at the expense of staff wellbeing.
36 Australian universities have been publicly ranked by their PSC score. This kind of transparency is rare in any industry, and it signals a serious intent to hold institutions accountable for the psychological health and safety of their staff.
The Census also captured data on:
- Emotional exhaustion and work engagement
- Job satisfaction and job security
- Working hours beyond contracted time
- Experience of restructuring
- Intention to leave
Highlighted Results:
PSC - 69% disagreed that 'Senior management considers employee psychological health to be as important as productivity.'
Restructuring and organisational change - 80% agreed that new policies and procedures designed to cut costs are constantly being introduced.
Organisational change is significantly related to emotional exhaustion.
Why This Matters
University staff are the backbone of teaching, research and student support. When their wellbeing deteriorates, so does the quality of education, the output of research and the experience of students. The costs of inaction, in human and economic terms, are significant.
As the Census authors note: "Without urgent action, the sector's ability to deliver high-quality education, world-class research, and positive student experiences will be compromised."
Measuring your organisations PSC is important, but having an embedded psychosocial risk management process in place is crucial.
Improvements can be made when work is redesigned, when job demands are adjusted, when role clarity exists and when leaders are provided with the support and resources to enable good and best practice.
Is your organisation investing in psychosocial safety?
At Foremind, we believe psychosocial safety isn't a compliance checkbox — it is the foundation of a mentally healthy, safe and high-performing workplace.
Whether you're in higher education or any another sector, investing in psychosocial risk management and understanding and improving your organisations PSC, are some of the most impactful investments you can make for your people.
Cited: Dollard, M.F., Neser, D., Lushington, K., Zadow, A. (2026). Australian University Sector Report: Findings from the Australian University Census on Staff Wellbeing, Technical Report, Adelaide University, Census - Stress Cafe
Answers to the frequently asked questions.
Our last EAP was barely touched. Why would this be different?+
Most EAPs go unused because of how they're accessed, not because staff don't need them. Phoning a stranger, explaining yourself, then waiting weeks is enough to stop most people before they start. Foremind removes all three steps: staff see real counsellor profiles, pick someone themselves, and book the same day.
If you already have a provider, the question worth asking is what your current utilisation is. Most traditional EAPs sit in low single digits, which means you're paying for cover your people aren't reaching. If yours is being used, staff can get seen quickly, and it covers your psychosocial obligations, there's no reason to move. If not, it's worth knowing what you're getting for the spend.
Do you offer 24/7 support?+
Yes. A 24/7 after-hours crisis line means staff can reach someone immediately at any hour, including nights and weekends.
Counselling appointments are also available outside standard business hours, so shift-based and on-call teams aren't limited to a nine-to-five window. Those are two different things, and it's worth checking any provider offers both rather than just the crisis line.
Are your EAP counsellors based in Australia?+
Yes. Every practitioner on the platform holds current membership with an Australian professional body and practises under Australian standards, codes of ethics and disciplinary frameworks. There are no offshore call centres.
Practitioners hold membership with the Australian Counselling Association, the Psychotherapy and Counselling Federation of Australia, or the Australian Association of Social Workers, along with a current Working with Children or Vulnerable People Check.
How much does an EAP cost?+
Pricing is usually per employee per month, based on total headcount rather than how many people use the service. Costs vary widely depending on whether sessions are bundled in and whether compliance tooling is included.
A more useful comparison is cost per employee who actually uses it. An EAP with 2% utilisation can work out several times more expensive per person helped than one that gets used. Foremind offers pay-as-you-go, inclusive session plans and compliance-inclusive plans, with discounted pricing for not-for-profits and charities.
For full breakdown of our plans, see our EAP pricing page or request a quote for a tailored proposal.
What information does an employer receive about EAP usage?+
Nothing that could identify anyone. All counselling is completely confidential and all reporting is anonymous - you'll never see who booked, when, or what was discussed.
What you do see is the aggregated picture: how many people are using it, what psychosocial risks are prevalent in the business, and which teams are under pressure. Enough to know the investment is working and where to act, never enough to identify a person. Reporting thresholds mean small teams can't be reverse-engineered from the data.
Does having an EAP meet an employer's psychosocial duty of care?+
No. An EAP is a control measure, and a valuable one, but it only addresses harm after it has occurred. It doesn't identify hazards, assess risk, or evidence that controls are working.
Australian WHS law requires you to identify psychosocial hazards, assess the risk, control it so far as is reasonably practicable, and review whether those controls are working — with documented evidence at each step. Offering counselling on its own leaves three of those four steps undocumented.
Foremind covers both in one platform. See how the compliance side works in our product tour.