Many of us were trained to ask about sleep, mood, relationships and safety. Far fewer of us were trained to ask about rent arrears, a buy now, pay later balance or the letter from the energy company sitting unopened on the kitchen bench.
That gap matters. A systematic review and meta-analysis found that people with personal debt were around three times as likely to have a mental health condition as people without debt, with links to depression, problem drinking and suicide (Richardson et al., 2013).
The relationship runs both ways. Financial stress can trigger or deepen distress, and mental ill health can make it harder to work, manage paperwork or open the mail. Either way, the money problem rarely resolves on its own.
Making it part of the conversation
- Ask routinely and plainly: 'Some people find money is a big source of stress. How are things for you?'
- Normalise without minimising: debt is common, and it often carries a lot of shame.
- Prioritise together: housing, energy and food come first, and other debts can often wait while help is arranged.
- Know the free supports: the National Debt Helpline (1800 007 007) offers free, confidential financial counselling.
- Ask energy, water and phone providers about hardship programs; many are required to offer them.
- Check income support entitlements and concessions.
Practice, not just referral
Financial counselling is a specialist skill, and good referral matters. But social workers are often the first to notice the pattern: the cancelled appointments when the car is unregistered, the anxiety that spikes in the week the bills arrive. Treating money as part of the person's wellbeing, not a separate administrative problem, can open the door to change.
Related resources
- Financial Hardship Conversation Guide
- Debt Priority Worksheet
- Utility Hardship Conversation Script
- Household Budget Planner
References
- Richardson, T., Elliott, P., & Roberts, R. (2013). The relationship between personal unsecured debt and mental and physical health: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Clinical Psychology Review, 33(8), 1148–1162. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpr.2013.08.009
This article is general information for practitioners. It is not clinical advice: use your professional judgement and follow your organisation's procedures.