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Long-term health impacts of the 2019–2020 bushfires in regional communities
Severe bushfires are projected to increase globally, with profound implications for communities and policymakers. While the immediate health impacts of bushfires are well documented, the longer-term mental health trajectories of affected populations remain poorly understood.
This presentation reports findings from a population health survey examining long-term health outcomes among adults in rural communities affected by the 2019–2020 bushfires. The survey was co-designed with community members, delivered through multiple participation modes, and completed by 2,207 residents. It captured experiences of bushfire exposure and emergency response, access to healthcare, financial and social supports, and mental health outcomes.
Five years after the fires, mental health outcomes were substantially poorer than national averages and unevenly distributed across the population. Almost a quarter of participants reported moderate-to-severe depressive symptoms, approximately three times the national prevalence for adults of similar age, and 12 per cent met criteria for clinically significant PTSD, more than double national estimates.
Despite substantial investment in bushfire-specific mental health initiatives following the 2019–2020 fires, these findings show that mental health concerns remained elevated at least five years later. Financial assistance and subsidised mental healthcare may have reduced some distress, but these measures alone have not eliminated longer-term consequences. The ongoing effects are also likely to limit social and economic participation in fire-affected areas, reducing local capacity for preparedness and prevention in the face of future fires and other disasters.
A coordinated, multilayered, and long-term approach to service planning and policy is needed to mitigate the enduring mental health impacts of bushfires in regional communities.
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