Women’s mental health and wellbeing in Victoria

Abstract

Women in Victoria experience significantly higher rates of mental illness than men, particularly among culturally and racially marginalised women and those exposed to trauma, poverty, and family violence. Despite this, mental health services and research have historically relied on male-centred models, with mixed-gender inpatient settings often failing to provide safety or trauma-informed care for women. In response to the Royal Commission into Victoria’s Mental Health System, the Women’s Recovery Network (WReN) was established as a women-only, trauma-informed, and gender-affirming inpatient service. Delivered through a public–private partnership and co-designed with lived experience, WReN offers a recovery-oriented, dialogical model that prioritises safety, choice, and collaborative care.