Mental Health

National Mental Health Strategy

The National Mental Health Strategy is a commitment by the Commonwealth and state and territory governments to improve the lives of people with a mental illness.

In April 1992, the Australian Health Ministers' Conference (AHMC) endorsed the National Mental Health Strategy as a framework to guide mental health reform over the period 1993 to 1998. The strategy provides a framework for national reform from an institutionally based mental health system to one that is consumer focused with an emphasis on supporting individuals in their community. The strategy was reaffirmed in 1998 with the Second National Mental Health Plan and again in 2003 with the endorsement of the National Mental Health Plan 2003-2008.

The National Mental Health Strategy aims to:

• Promote the mental health of the Australian community
• Where possible, prevent the development of mental disorder
• Reduce the impact of mental disorders on individuals, families and the community
• Assure the rights of people with mental illness.