Serious psychological injury claims have reached a record 17,600 a year in Australia — up 14.7 per cent in a single year — with affected workers off work for a median 35.7 weeks and median compensation of $67,400, according to Safe Work Australia’s latest national statistics. For employers, the data confirms psychological injury is now among the most expensive and disruptive risks in the workplace.
Key facts at a glance
- 17,600 serious mental health condition claims were accepted in 2023–24 — a record, and up 14.7 per cent on the previous year’s 15,300 (Safe Work Australia).
- Mental health conditions now account for 12 per cent of all serious workers’ compensation claims — the highest proportion ever recorded.
- Median time off work is 35.7 weeks — almost five times longer than for other serious injury claims.
- Median compensation is $67,400 per claim, compared with about $16,300 for other injuries.
- The leading causes are workplace harassment and bullying (33.2%), work pressure (24.2%) and exposure to violence or aggression (15.7%).
- Managing psychosocial hazards is a legal duty — enforceable codes of practice now operate in Queensland (since April 2023) and New South Wales (since 1 July 2026), with other states following.
What do the latest Safe Work Australia figures show?
Safe Work Australia’s Key Work Health and Safety Statistics Australia 2025 release reports that serious workers’ compensation claims for mental health conditions rose from 15,300 to 17,600 in 2023–24 — a 14.7 per cent jump in one year, the largest increase of any injury category. Mental health conditions now make up 12 per cent of all serious claims nationally, the highest share on record.
The same release shows workplace fatalities trending down. The national safety story is improving for physical harm while deteriorating sharply for psychological harm — which is exactly why regulators across the country have shifted enforcement attention to psychosocial hazards.
How much does a psychological injury claim cost?
Psychological injury claims are in a different cost league to physical injuries. The median claim involves 35.7 weeks off work — almost five times the time lost for other serious injuries — and median compensation of $67,400, versus about $16,300 for other claims.
Those are only the direct, compensated costs. They exclude the costs employers feel first: higher workers’ compensation premiums, backfilling a role for eight months or more, lost output, disrupted teams and the recruitment costs that follow resignations. A single accepted claim can quietly become one of the most expensive events in a small business’s year.
What is causing workplace psychological injuries?
Safe Work Australia’s data attributes the majority of serious psychological claims to three mechanisms:
| Cause of serious psychological injury claims | Share of claims | Examples of the hazard |
|---|---|---|
| Workplace harassment and bullying | 33.2% | Repeated unreasonable behaviour, sexual harassment, exclusion |
| Work pressure | 24.2% | Unmanageable demands, unrealistic deadlines, chronic understaffing |
| Exposure to workplace violence or aggression | 15.7% | Aggressive customers or patients, occupational violence, threats |
The gender split is also stark: mental health conditions account for 17.2 per cent of serious claims made by women, compared with 8.2 per cent for men — reflecting the concentration of psychosocial hazards in industries such as health care, social assistance and education.
What are regulators doing about the surge?
The claims data is driving a visible enforcement response. Queensland’s Managing the Risk of Psychosocial Hazards at Work Code of Practice has been enforceable since April 2023. In New South Wales, approved codes of practice became enforceable compliance benchmarks on 1 July 2026 under section 26A of the WHS Act, and SafeWork NSW has recruited dedicated psychosocial inspectors backed by a nine-figure enforcement budget. We cover the inspector campaigns and penalties in detail in our psychosocial enforcement in 2026 explainer and our report on the NSW codes of practice becoming enforceable.
The direction is uniform across jurisdictions: psychosocial risk is a work health and safety duty, not a wellbeing extra, and businesses that cannot show a systematic response are exposed.
What does the data mean for your business?
Three practical conclusions follow from the numbers. First, the risk is now mainstream — at 12 per cent of all serious claims, psychological injury is not a niche exposure confined to emergency services. Second, the cost asymmetry means prevention and early response are worth far more than for physical injuries, because the median incident costs four times as much and lasts five times as long. Third, the legal environment has caught up with the data: every Australian employer already has a positive duty to identify, assess and control psychosocial hazards, as we explain in our guide to psychosocial hazards at work and the employer’s duty.
Important: training is a supporting control, not a substitute for managing psychosocial hazards at the source. Regulators expect higher-order controls — job design, workload management, prevention of bullying and violence — with capability-building to support them.
Where does accredited Psychological First Aid training fit?
One consistent gap the claims data exposes is early response. A 35.7-week median absence usually reflects harm that escalated before anyone acted. Psychological First Aid (PFA) capability gives workplaces trained people who can recognise a colleague in distress after an incident or during a difficult period, respond appropriately and connect them with professional support early — the window where escalation, and a long claim, can often be prevented.
FMS Training delivers the nationally recognised unit PUARCV001 – Provide Psychological First Aid fully online, Australia-wide. As a nationally recognised unit delivered by a registered training organisation (RTO 45189), it results in a Statement of Attainment — a formal, auditable record that your business built this capability, which matters when a regulator asks what you have done about psychosocial risk. Learn more on the accredited Psychological First Aid course page or read how to become an accredited Psychological First Aider.
Frequently asked questions
What counts as a psychological injury claim?
A workers’ compensation claim for a mental health condition arising from work — such as post-traumatic stress, anxiety or depression caused by workplace trauma, bullying, harassment, violence or sustained work pressure — that is accepted as a serious claim (one week or more off work).
How many psychological injury claims are there in Australia?
17,600 serious mental health condition claims were recorded in 2023–24, per Safe Work Australia — a record, up 14.7 per cent on the previous year and now 12 per cent of all serious claims.
How long are workers off work with a psychological injury?
The median is 35.7 weeks — almost five times the time lost for other serious injury claims. Many claims run considerably longer.
What does a psychological injury claim cost?
Median compensation is $67,400, compared with roughly $16,300 for other injuries — before indirect costs such as premium increases, backfill and turnover.
What are the most common causes of psychological injury claims?
Workplace harassment and bullying (33.2 per cent), work pressure (24.2 per cent) and exposure to workplace violence or aggression (15.7 per cent), according to Safe Work Australia.
Are employers legally required to manage psychosocial risk?
Yes. Under WHS laws, a person conducting a business or undertaking must manage psychosocial hazards so far as is reasonably practicable. Enforceable codes of practice apply in Queensland and New South Wales, and regulators are actively inspecting and prosecuting.
Does Psychological First Aid training satisfy the psychosocial duty on its own?
No. Training is a supporting control. The duty requires identifying, assessing and controlling psychosocial hazards at the source — but PFA capability strengthens your early-response layer and forms auditable evidence of action.
Is the FMS Psychological First Aid course nationally recognised?
Yes. FMS Training (RTO 45189) delivers PUARCV001 – Provide Psychological First Aid, a nationally recognised unit of competency, fully online Australia-wide, leading to a Statement of Attainment.
This article discusses workplace mental ill-health. If this topic raises anything for you, support is available — Lifeline is on 13 11 14, 24 hours a day.
Sources: Safe Work Australia — Key Work Health and Safety Statistics Australia 2025; Safe Work Australia data — Key WHS Statistics (latest release); Safe Work Australia — Psychological health and safety in the workplace report; training.gov.au — PUARCV001 Provide Psychological First Aid.