Role Of Mental Health In Australia

Mental illness disorders and suicide as surveys and statistics would show, affects Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people at a higher rate than the rest of the Australian population (Elder, Evans, Nizette, 2013). Thirty percent of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population aged 18 years and over experienced some sort psychological distress at a greater than normal level during the year 2012 to 2013 (ABS, 2015). Compared to other Australians, the Indigenous people aged 18 years and over were three times more prone to experiencing psychological distress than the rest of the Australian population (ABS, 2015). Mental health services treat more Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders in contrast with the Non-Aboriginal population, around

It is important that the strategy has to draw on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives, understanding what they need and provide the most effective way to reduce the mental illness and suicide prevention (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare 2009). According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfares, “Closing the gap” is a continuing national program which to help closing the gap of mental health of ATSI people. In the area of improving the mental health of Indigenous people, one strategy under the program is the National Action Plan on Mental Health 2006-2011. This plan elaborates that health practitioners who working in Indigenous community are being trained to identify and address mental illness, as well as other associated issues among indigenous people and make referrals for their treatment. In addition, the national plan also highlights that develop the capacity of health practitioner, local community and community organisation, provide better professional support and resources to enable Indigenous people to improve their mental health and develop cultural awareness and suicide prevention training for local health practitioner in mainstream

A national strategy for promoting mental wellbeing and mental health is No Health Without Mental Health.

Mental illness has a profound impact on the Australian community, with 45% of Australians expected to experience mental illness at some point in their lives. In 1991, Australian Health Ministers commenced The Australian National Mental Health Strategy, which has since transitioned to its Fourth National Mental Health Plan Agreement. The Australian healthcare policy that has recently received attention in the Australian media is the revised National Mental Health Policy of 2008. The media article, ‘‘Futures will be lost’: Health fears as youth psychosis program dropped,’ has been analysed on its illustration of current structural reform proposed in the Mental Health sector. The role of media is critical in conveying policy to the public and

- They provide information and support to help the people in Australia have their best possible mental health, whatever their age and wherever they live. Since there are 3 million Australians are living with depression or anxiety, they want to help those people cope with their illness.

A strong case can be made for investing in mental health, whether to enhance individual and world wellbeing, improve life span, or even to enable people living with mental illnesses to have a better quality of life. Mental health problems account for a quarter of all ill health yet they receive less than 6% of all health research funding, people with these health conditions usually experience poor access to help services and lower quality care than those with physical health problems. Addressing mental and physical health needs together would be more cost effective for the NHS and would benefit the increasing numbers of people dealing with untreated mental illness.

Monitoring and reviewing the current system of mental health supports and progress towards achieving the Actions in the Strategic Plan, and providing this information to the community and the mental health sector in ways that encourage positive change.

The 2007 National Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing Results revealed that at some stage in their lives, up to 45% of Australians will experience a mental illness, with 20% of the Australians surveyed in the 16-85 age group having experienced a mental illness within the 12 months preceding the survey

The high prevalence of mental health problems is not matched by a commensurate level of service use and associated help-seeking behavior; instead there is a marked mismatch between prevalence of mental disorder and professional help-seeking. Figure 1 shows the extent of this mismatch from Australian national data. It plots the percentage of Australians experiencing a mental disorder within a 12-month period and the relative proportion of those with a disorder who sought professional help.1 At all ages there is a much higher prevalence than there is service use, although the mismatch is greatest where the need is highest, ie, for those aged 16–24 years, and decreases with age. In the youngest age group, for males, there were 23% who reported

The Australian Government created an innovating National Youth Mental Health Foundation is known as, Headspace. Headspace provides early support, care and services for a range of mental health challenges young people commonly face. Headspace aim to target any problems young people may face in order to adverse effects. They provide services that span over physical health, drug and alcohol support and vocational counsel. They aim to empower young people to seek assistance, support, advice or simply someone to talk about mental health issues. Anyone who walks into a headspace centre should feel treated with respect and compassion, within a confidential and safe environment.

These changes have increased the optimism that people can recover fully from mental illnesses. Two factual aspects have challenged the mental healthcare sector in Australia. One is the overcrowding in public mental healthcare institutions, and the other one is the issue of diagnostic developments being used by the social workers and the physicians. The immigrant and minority ethnic populations in Australia have become a problem to the small-sized facilities since they affect the mental hygiene of the institutions (Mental Health Commission, 2011). On the flipside, in some institutional mental health settings, the patients face poorly trained staff, poor physical conditions, and the lack of effective treatment methods; thereby, leading to the development of chronic mental

The Mental Health Act 2014 promotes supported decision-making and encourages strong communication between health practitioners, consumers, their families and carers. It supports people with a mental illness to make and participate in treatment decisions and to have their views and preferences considered and respected. It places greater emphasis on recovery & participation, involving patients more in all decisions about assessment, treatment & recovery. It allows patients to make decisions about assessment, treatment & recovery that involve a degree of risk, while involving carers in those decisions.

Mental health problems are considered to “interfere with how a person thinks, feels and behaves” (Australian Government Department of Health, 2007, para. 3). Considered to be more prominent, yet less severe than mental illnesses, mental health problems are experienced for

Headspace is an Australian National network that specialises in providing mental health center’s for teens and young adults. It’s objective is to prolong the reach of mental health services and support for the many young people who suffer and struggle through mental health complications. Established by the Australian government in 2006 and funded by the Department of Health and Ageing under the Youth Mental Health Initiative Program, it offers support and provides early intervention services to those aged between 12-25. It is a confidential, free and secure space where a young person can call, web-chat, or email with a qualified youth mental professional. This service is arranged in a way to make it as easy as possible for a young person to

It has been reported that the number of people with mental disorder is increasing in our communities at an alarming rate. Environmental and social changes are among the most mentioned causes of the accelerating rate of mental illness in society (Häfner, 1985). Despite the prevalence, about one fifth of the adult population will battle with mental illness every year ("Facts and figures about mental illness," 2014) and the acknowledgement of authorities mental illness is still given less attention then is needed to treat the problem successfully. Health bodies need to be putting more resources into this area as