Multicultural Mental Health · CALD Communities
Mental health help
in your language
Free mental health support is available in Australia in over 170 languages. You do not need to speak English to get help. The services on this page connect you with bilingual professionals and crisis support.
🌍 The universal key — works for any language
Call this number first
131 450
TIS National — Translating and Interpreting Service
Free · 24 hours a day, 7 days a week · 170+ languages
Call 131 450, say your language, and ask to be connected to Lifeline, Beyond Blue, or any other service — they provide a live interpreter at no cost to you.
🇨🇳 普通话 / 广东话
🇦🇪 العربية
🇻🇳 Tiếng Việt
🇮🇳 हिन्दी
🇮🇳 ਪੰਜਾਬੀ
+165 more
1
Call 131 450
TIS National answers immediately. Tell them your language.
2
Name the service
Say "Lifeline" or "Beyond Blue" or "mental health".
3
Interpreter joins
A professional interpreter connects you to the helpline.
Seeing a GP or psychologist? Ask for a free interpreter
You do not have to bring a family member to translate. A professional interpreter is often available at no cost to you — but you usually need to ask, and it helps to ask when you book, not at the appointment.
- When you book, say your language and that you need an interpreter. You can use a phone interpreter yourself: call TIS National on 131 450 and ask them to connect you to the clinic.
- For a GP: doctors can use TIS National’s Free Interpreting Service for Medicare-rebatable services in private practice, and it is free for Medicare-eligible patients. The practice has to register with TIS National first, so ask reception whether they can book one.
- Ask for a male or female interpreter if you would be more comfortable — practices can choose to suit your preference.
- Mental health services funded through your local Primary Health Network (including headspace and adult mental health services) can also use interpreters — the Australian Government funded this specifically because people from non-English-speaking backgrounds use these services less often.
- Show the official card if it is hard to explain. TIS National publishes an “I need an interpreter” card that tells staff you require an interpreter and gives them the number to call: TIS National “I need an interpreter” card (PDF).
Availability can depend on the service and type of appointment — if one is refused, call TIS National on 131 450 and ask what your options are. Sources: RACGP, TIS National and the Australian Government Department of Health (links in “Sources & references” below).
Services in specific languages
🇨🇳
普通话 & 广东话
Mandarin & Cantonese
如果您需要帮助，请拨打以下免费热线。
If you need mental health help, call these free services.
TIS National — 翻译和口译服务
24小时 / 7天 · 免费 — 说"普通话"或"广东话"，连接到任何心理健康服务
Transcultural Mental Health Line — 跨文化心理健康热线
双语注册心理健康专业人员 · 普通话和广东话 · Mon–Fri 9am–4:30pm (NSW)
Lifeline — 心理危机支持 · 先拨 131 450，要求口译员
24小时 / 7天 · via TIS interpreter
إذا كنت بحاجة إلى مساعدة، اتصل بهذه الخدمات المجانية.
If you need mental health help, call these free services.
TIS National — خدمة الترجمة والتفسير
متاح 24 ساعة، 7 أيام · مجاني — قل "العربية" وسيتم توصيلك بمترجم
Transcultural Mental Health Line — خط الصحة النفسية عبر الثقافات
متخصصون في الصحة النفسية ثنائيو اللغة · Arabic available · Mon–Fri 9am–4:30pm (NSW)
Lifeline — دعم الأزمات · اتصل بـ 131 450 أولاً
24 ساعة / 7 أيام · via TIS interpreter
Nếu bạn cần hỗ trợ sức khỏe tâm thần, hãy gọi các dịch vụ miễn phí dưới đây.
If you need mental health help, call these free services.
TIS National — Dịch vụ Phiên dịch và Thông dịch
24 giờ / 7 ngày · Miễn phí — Nói "Tiếng Việt" và được kết nối với phiên dịch viên
Transcultural Mental Health Line — Đường dây sức khỏe tâm thần đa văn hóa
Chuyên gia song ngữ đã đăng ký · Tiếng Việt available · Mon–Fri 9am–4:30pm (NSW)
Lifeline — Hỗ trợ khủng hoảng · Gọi 131 450 trước
24 giờ / 7 ngày · via TIS interpreter
यदि आपको मानसिक स्वास्थ्य सहायता की आवश्यकता है, तो नीचे दी गई मुफ़्त सेवाओं पर कॉल करें।
If you need mental health help, call these free services.
TIS National — अनुवाद और दुभाषिया सेवा
24 घंटे / 7 दिन · मुफ़्त — दुभाषिया से जुड़ने के लिए "हिन्दी" कहें
Transcultural Mental Health Line — ट्रांसकल्चरल मेंटल हेल्थ लाइन
पंजीकृत द्विभाषी विशेषज्ञ · Hindi available · Mon–Fri 9am–4:30pm (NSW)
Lifeline — संकट सहायता · पहले 131 450 पर कॉल करें
24 घंटे / 7 दिन · via TIS interpreter
More free translated fact sheets (anxiety, depression, getting help)
ਜੇ ਤੁਹਾਨੂੰ ਮਾਨਸਿਕ ਸਿਹਤ ਸਹਾਇਤਾ ਦੀ ਲੋੜ ਹੈ, ਤਾਂ ਹੇਠਾਂ ਦਿੱਤੀਆਂ ਮੁਫ਼ਤ ਸੇਵਾਵਾਂ ਨੂੰ ਕਾਲ ਕਰੋ।
If you need mental health help, call these free services.
TIS National — ਅਨੁਵਾਦ ਅਤੇ ਦੁਭਾਸ਼ੀਆ ਸੇਵਾ
24 ਘੰਟੇ / 7 ਦਿਨ · ਮੁਫ਼ਤ — ਦੁਭਾਸ਼ੀਏ ਨਾਲ ਜੁੜਨ ਲਈ "ਪੰਜਾਬੀ" ਕਹੋ
Transcultural Mental Health Line — ਟਰਾਂਸਕਲਚਰਲ ਮੈਂਟਲ ਹੈਲਥ ਲਾਈਨ
ਰਜਿਸਟਰਡ ਦੋਭਾਸ਼ੀ ਮਾਹਿਰ · Punjabi available · Mon–Fri 9am–4:30pm (NSW)
Lifeline — ਸੰਕਟ ਸਹਾਇਤਾ · ਪਹਿਲਾਂ 131 450 'ਤੇ ਕਾਲ ਕਰੋ
24 ਘੰਟੇ / 7 ਦਿਨ · via TIS interpreter
More free translated fact sheets (anxiety, depression, trauma, getting help)
National & state specialist services
NSW · Bilingual professionals
Transcultural Mental Health Line
Staffed by registered bilingual mental health professionals. Available in Arabic, Mandarin, Cantonese, Vietnamese, Greek, Korean, Ukrainian and more. NSW service.
Mon–Fri 9am–4:30pm
dhi.health.nsw.gov.au/tmhc
National · Resource hub
Embrace Multicultural Mental Health
National platform with mental health resources and translated information in 40+ languages. Run by Mental Health Australia, funded by the Australian Government. Not a helpline — a resource and directory hub.
embracementalhealth.org.au
NSW · Refugee trauma
STARTTS
Psychological treatment and support for people from refugee backgrounds. Bilingual staff speaking Arabic, Cantonese, Mandarin, Farsi, Dari and more.
startts.org.au
VIC · Refugee trauma
Foundation House
Trauma recovery for refugees in Victoria. Arabic, Burmese, Dari, Dinka, Karen, Persian, Swahili, Tamil, Tigrinya and more. Interpreters available for other languages.
foundationhouse.org.au
QLD · CALD mental health
Queensland Transcultural Mental Health Centre (QTMHC)
Statewide Queensland service with bilingual consultants from 80+ language groups. Free. Provides consultation, translated resources, and community mental health support.
qld.gov.au — search QTMHC
National · Interpreter
TIS National
Free telephone interpreting in 170+ languages. Use to access any government or health service in your language. GPs and health providers can also use TIS at no cost to you.
24/7
⚠️ About mental health screening tools in other languages
The DASS-21, K10, PHQ-9, GAD-7, ADHD (ASRS) and EPDS tools on this site are in English only. These are validated clinical instruments — the exact wording of every question was tested in clinical research. Using informal or AI/machine translations can change the meaning of individual questions and produce an inaccurate score. We do not offer machine-translated versions, and we'd encourage you not to paste these tools into a translation app either — it can feel like a reasonable shortcut, but the wording is part of what makes the score meaningful.
Real, specifically validated translations do exist for some of these tools — but not every translation you'll find online of a tool like this is equally trustworthy, so here's exactly what we could confirm:
DASS-21: the test's own creators at UNSW host a Chinese and an Arabic translation backed by a real published validation study (Moussa, Lovibond & Laube, 2001, for the NSW Transcultural Mental Health Centre) — Chinese version · Arabic version. UNSW's site also lists the DASS-21 in 60+ other languages, but says plainly on that page that it "cannot provide any assurances about the adequacy or validity" of those other translations — if your language isn't Chinese or Arabic, the interpreter option below is the safer route.
K10: the NSW Transcultural Mental Health Centre's K10 form is available in 40+ languages, including Chinese (Simplified & Traditional), Hindi, Punjabi, Vietnamese and Arabic, hosted on the Victorian Government's translated health resources service — see the full list and download.
EPDS (perinatal depression): validated translations exist in 18 languages, including Chinese, Punjabi, Vietnamese and Arabic, summarised with their individual validation studies by a CALD maternal health resource — see languages and studies.
ADHD screening (ASRS): the scale's rights-holders (Harvard/NYU) license an official translated version in 21 languages, including Chinese (Traditional) — see available languages.
PHQ-9 and GAD-7: we haven't yet found an equally clear, directly linkable validated-translation source for these two specifically — if your language isn't covered above, or you're unsure, the interpreter option below is the safest route for any of these six tools.
The most reliable approach for any of these tools: call 131 450 (TIS National), ask for an interpreter, and complete the English version of the tool with their help. This preserves validated scoring, and it's free. Embrace Multicultural Mental Health is also a good general starting point for translated mental health information more broadly.
Sources & references
- NSW Health. (2023). Transcultural Mental Health Line launched. health.nsw.gov.au
- NSW Transcultural Mental Health Centre. (2026). 1800 648 911 service information. dhi.health.nsw.gov.au
- Embrace Multicultural Mental Health. (2026). Mental Health Australia. embracementalhealth.org.au
- Australian Government DoH & Aged Care. (2023). Embrace Multicultural Mental Health. health.gov.au
- Queensland Health. (2026). QTMHC. qld.gov.au
- TIS National. Department of Home Affairs. tisnational.gov.au
- RACGP. Where can I find an interpreter? (TIS National Free Interpreting Service for medical practitioners). racgp.org.au
- TIS National. “I need an interpreter” card. tisnational.gov.au (PDF)
- Australian Government Department of Health, Disability and Ageing. Boost to mental health interpreting services ($7.8 million; TIS National; PHN-commissioned services including headspace). health.gov.au
- ABS. (2021). Census of Population and Housing: Language spoken at home.
- Moussa, M.T., Lovibond, P.F. & Laube, R. (2001). Psychometric properties of a Chinese version of the short Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS21). Report for NSW Transcultural Mental Health Centre. dass.psy.unsw.edu.au
- Moussa, M.T., Lovibond, P.F. & Laube, R. (2001). Psychometric properties of an Arabic version of the DASS21. Report for NSW Transcultural Mental Health Centre. www2.psy.unsw.edu.au
- NSW Transcultural Mental Health Centre. K10 assessment form, 40+ languages, via Victorian Government Health Translations. healthtranslations.vic.gov.au
- EPDS validated translated versions (18 languages) — eCALD maternal health resource. resources.ecald.com
- ASRS v1.1 official translations (21 languages) — Harvard/NYU licensed. adhdinadults.com
- Digital Treasure Pty Ltd. Content reviewed October 2026.
Medical disclaimer: This page provides general information about available services only. It is not a substitute for professional mental health assessment or advice. If you are in immediate danger, call 000. If you are in crisis, call Lifeline on 13 11 14 (accessible via TIS National interpreter on 131 450). Phone numbers verified June 2026 — please verify directly if in doubt.
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