National Mental Health Reform 2011-12
Better targeted and more efficient primary mental health services
- Foreword
- Highlights
The Challenges- Severe and debilitating mental illness
- Better targeted and more efficient primary mental health services
- Early intervention and prevention, and mental health services for children and young people
- Economic and social participation for people with mental illness
- Addressing service gaps in state and territory systems
- Quality, transparency and accountability in mental health
- A new approach – A ten year roadmap for mental health reform
Priorities and new Initiatives
Around 3.1 million Australians with mental illness experience anxiety and affective disorders of mild to moderate severity. In contrast to people who experience severe and debilitating symptoms, many people with less disabling mental illness do not access any mental health services. This adversely impacts on their capacity to live their lives. Treatment rates for people with mental illness are improving, but are still
substantially lower than for other physical conditions with a comparable disease burden (an estimated 46 per cent compared to 80 per cent for arthritis and asthma). Approximately two million Australians with mental illness who may benefit from services do not receive them. The Better Access initiative has had some effect in treating more people, but as the evaluation mentioned earlier found, certain population groups continue to miss out.