Allianz launches Community Care to bolster mental resilience in disaster-hit communities

Allianz Australia has unveiled a nationwide program to strengthen mental resilience and social connection in communities recovering from natural disasters, adding a new strand to its response efforts beyond claims and immediate relief. The initiative, called Allianz Community Care, brings together the insurer’s community partnerships to support longer-term recovery in regions affected by floods, bushfires and other catastrophes.

To launch the program, Allianz has named Outside the Locker Room (OTLR) as its first partner. OTLR, which delivers mental health education through sporting clubs, workplaces and community groups, is expected to run more than 100 workshops across Australia, including in areas recently impacted by severe events.

Sessions will cover stress management, stigma reduction and pathways to formal and informal support. Workshops under the program began in April 2026, and Allianz has indicated it plans to add further partnerships over time. Libby Davidson, chief general manager for corporate affairs and governance at Allianz Australia, said the initiative formalises and expands the company’s mental health-related work with communities.

“Delivering true care to communities goes beyond just being there when disaster strikes – it’s about supporting communities in the long term,” she said, adding that mental health and social connection are fundamental to resilience.

Davidson said the partnership with OTLR is intended to create safe spaces where people can connect, share experiences and access support, noting the role of sport in building connection, particularly in disaster-hit towns. The launch comes amid continuing concerns about psychological distress in Australia.

As part of its Measuring What Matters framework, the Australian Bureau of Statistics tracks psychological distress as an indicator of population wellbeing, using the Kessler 10 (K10) scale for the general adult population and the Kessler 5 (K5) for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adults.

According to the National Health Survey, 14.3% of people aged 18 and over experienced high or very high levels of psychological distress in 2022, up from 10.8% in 2011–12. The 2020–22 National Study of Mental Health and Wellbeing reported that about 17% of people aged 16–85 had high or very high distress during the COVID-19 period.

For Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adults, the 2022–23 National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Survey found that 30.2% experienced high or very high psychological distress in the previous four weeks, with little change over the past decade.

Distress levels were higher among women than men and higher in non-remote areas than in remote regions. From 2026, the ABS plans to update the psychological distress indicator annually using an expanded General Social Survey, providing more frequent data by age group, sex and remoteness category.

Allianz said Community Care is intended to sit alongside traditional insurance activities such as claims management and immediate disaster response, with further partnerships anticipated as the program develops.