Mental Health Month: The power of connection

New TAL research shows that Australians value connecting with the people who matter to them but often struggle to prioritise it. This Mental Health Month, we look at why human connection is important for mental wellbeing, and how TAL designs our support for members facing mental health challenges.

TAL's inaugural Understanding Modern Australia report found that 73% of Australians say they deliberately build practices into their week to support their mental health.¹ These include spending time with friends, family and community. A further TAL study conducted last month looked at what happens when one of those practices competes with a busy week.²

“Our research shows Australians deeply value their relationships but say they lack the time or resources to connect,” said Glenn Baird, TAL’s Head of Mental Health.  

“At the same time, more than 7 in 10 people are making time for activities that support their mental wellbeing. The opportunity is to bring these things together by treating connection as part of how we look after ourselves." 

The findings line up closely with Mental Health Australia's ‘Together We Thrive’ theme for this year's Mental Health Month, which recognises the role connection and belonging play in maintaining good mental health.

Low-pressure plans help people stay connected

According to TAL’s study, fatigue is the top reason people cancel plans (37%), ahead of simply not feeling like it (35%) and wanting time alone (26%). Women are more likely than men to say tiredness gets in the way of social plans (45% compared to 28%). 

What gets many people over the line is proximity and ease. Plans that are close to home (54%), at a convenient time (47%) or free (45%) are the strongest predictors of follow-through.  

"Our research shows the importance of making social plans that feel easy to commit to," Glenn said. "This includes keeping it close to home and choosing a time that works. A low-key catch-up is better than an ambitious plan that never happens."

Friends contribute to feeling well

Friends are also key to supporting wellbeing. They're the leading source of mood support overall (45%, ahead of partners at 42% and family at 41%), a pattern strongest among 18 to 24-year-olds and women.  

The balance shifts rather than disappears with age. Among Australians over 65, partners (43%), family (42%) and friends (38%) all remain close, which suggests that connection habits evolve across a member's life rather than becoming less important.  

Glenn commented: "There’s no one right way to connect. For some people, it’s a regular walk with a friend. For others, it’s a family meal, a community group or a phone call. The best form of connection is the one people can actually keep doing." 

Supporting the mental health of members

Connection plays a real role in everyday wellbeing, but for members facing mental health challenges, it's only one part of the picture. Mental ill health remains TAL's leading cause of claim for the fifth consecutive year, representing 22% of all accepted claims and close to $1.2 billion paid out in FY25. More than 12,000 Australians claimed for mental ill health through TAL last year.³ 

That experience shapes how we support members before, during and after a claim, with a combination of preventative tools, clinical support and recovery programs.  

Headlight, TAL's free online mental health tool that is available to all members, helps uncover potential wellbeing blind spots and provides tailored guidance. Through Group HQ, we also offer a series of white-labelled member content on a range of mental health topics.  

For members on claim, Mental Health Assist (delivered with Teladoc Health) provides fast, virtual access to a psychiatrist. Our pilot with SANE Australia provides peer-led recovery support to members with more complex mental health conditions. 

Members can also access grief and bereavement support, assistance for carers and condition-specific recovery programs, while TAL Health Connector links members to free or low-cost community resources and services.  

Together, these services help members and their families manage challenges, build resilience and stay connected to the support that's right for their circumstances. 

"Mental health is an ecosystem challenge, and no single organisation can solve it alone," Glenn said. "Real progress comes from working with partners to deliver more connected support for members." 

To learn more about TAL services designed to support the mental health of members, speak to your Partnership Manager.

¹  Based on a nationally representative survey (by gender, age and state) of 2,005 Australians which was in field from 28 April to 8 May 2026 and was conducted by McCrindle.

²  Conducted by Edentify Pty Ltd on behalf of TAL, in September 2026, with a sample of 1,000 respondents in Australia aged 18-65+ years old.

³  Claims statistics based on total number of accepted claims that were determined to be eligible for payment between 1 April 2025 and 31 March 2026. A claim is assessed in order to determine whether or not the claim is payable. A claim is accepted when the claim is determined to be payable.