Mental Health

National Mental Health Strategy

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

It was endorsed in April 1992 by the Australian Health Ministers' Conference (AHMC) as a framework to guide mental health reform. 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.

The strategy includes:

• the National Mental Health Policy
• the National Mental Health Plan
• the Mental Health Statement of Rights and Responsibilities
• the Australian Health Care Agreements

The strategy has been reaffirmed by the health ministers a number of times since 1992. In 1998 the Second Mental Health Plan was developed, and in 2003 the National Mental Health Plan 2003-2008 was endorsed. Most recently, the 1992 National Mental Health Policy was revised in 2008 and the Fourth National Mental Health Plan was released in November 2009.