Last week a childhood friend of my wife’s committed suicide, one month before his 60th birthday. A highly respected and greatly liked doctor, most of his friends did not know of his depression.
He is the second friend of our age to take this drastic step in the past 12 months. Sadly they join the seven Australians who every day ‘successfully’ take the same decision. Suicide is the leading cause of death in this country for people aged 15 to 44.
Every year, around 4 million Australians suffer some form of mental health issue, making it the third largest chronic disease in the country, only behind cancer and cardiovascular disease.
Taking steps
But there is a light on the horizon. This week, Health Minister Sussan Ley announced the Federal government will overhaul mental health support. You may not be aware of it but up until now government support for mental health consisted of a ‘one size fits all’ approach.
The current system provides 10 Medicare subsidised psychology sessions every 12 months, a program coordinated from Canberra. And the government’s $850 million mental health funding has been provided to a wide range of providers who also provide individual services.
The new system reallocates the funding to 31 regional Primary Health Network offices across the country. They will be responsible for commissioning the services they feel are required which then can be delivered in the local community. An individually tailored mental health plan.
This will include what they call a ‘stepped care’ program.
Step one: help online
Step two: counselling for people with ‘mild’ problems
Step three: Medicare subsidised psychology sessions for people with moderate issues
Step four: a personal care plan is developed and managed through the Primary Health Network
The plan is to identify people who need support and for them to find their appropriate level.
Experts say when it comes to depression we must be bold enough to ask our friends if they are ‘OK’.
This new government approach – its response to the three year Review of Mental Health Programs and Services by the National Mental Health Commission – will hopefully provide a track for all people with mental challenges to gently put their hand up and seek support and then receive it. Lets hope so.
Positive response from experts
An interesting byline to this new government direction is a rare positive comment from the experts who worked on the three year review.
Professor Ian Hickey, from the University of Sydney, who sits on the Government’s Mental Health Commission, has said the change in government leadership has sped up the government response to mental health. “I think the direct personal involvement of the new Prime Minister is critical”, Professor Hickey said.
,Mental Health Australia chief executive Frank Quinlan said, “reform starts today”.
All good but it will still take time. Meanwhile if you have a friend or acquaintance who you are concerned about, please ask them, “are you OK?” – and be willing to listen!
Read the Government’s full response to the National Mental Health Commission’s Review here on the Department of Health website.
Read the original full Report of the National Review of Mental Health Programs and Services here on the National Mental Health Commission’s website.
