One in five young Aussie women have been diagnosed with depression, according to a new study.

The Women's Health Australia study has revealed that one in five women aged 28 to 33 are in poorer mental health than their mothers or grandmothers and have been taking anti-depressants.

Almost 18 per cent of the young women have reported higher rates of depression compared to 13 per cent in the age group of 53 to 58 and 10 pct in women between 79 to 84 years, reports The Australian.

According to the Advertiser Health Minister Nicola Roxon has outlined plans to develop a new National Women's Health Policy.

She said the new policy would emphasise prevention, health inequalities in society and the social determinants of health inequality.

"It has been almost 20 years since the last National Women's Health Policy was developed," News.com.au quoted her as saying.

"It is time to revisit the issues," she added.

But the younger women were slower to look to medication for help than older women diagnosed with depression.

Study co-author Julie Byles from the University of Newcastle said the data understated the problem, given that 60 per cent of young women with depression were not on antidepressants.

"It's only the tip of the iceberg," she said.

Byles said a woman's stage of life-influenced rates of depression, with the young dealing with newfound independence, relationships and uncertainty.

The study also found that depressed young women were less likely to be married or in a de facto relationship and more likely to be divorced.

Source-ANI PRI/S