Australia Fails to Meet Critical Mental Health Care Needs, Report Says
The commission’s final review of the National Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Agreement — a pact signed three years ago by federal, state, and territory governments — was handed to the government last month and published publicly on Tuesday night, ABC News reported.
Investigators found that systemic gaps are contributing to roughly 3,000 suicide deaths every year. The report also revealed that one in five Australians experiences mental illness annually, imposing an estimated cost of more than AUD 200 billion (around USD 132 billion) on the economy.
“In the three years since the [National Mental Health] Agreement was signed, little has improved for the people who access mental health and suicide prevention services, and their supporters, family, carers and kin,” the commission said.
The inquiry urged an “immediate fix” for approximately 500,000 Australians with severe or moderate mental illness who are currently unable to access specialist services because their conditions fall outside the National Disability Insurance Scheme criteria.
The commission further recommended extending the current agreement for one additional year, to 2026, and called for a complete overhaul of the framework.
Health Minister Mark Butler welcomed the report and confirmed he plans to meet with state health ministers in December to discuss its findings.
“This is an opportunity to reset and get this right,” he said in a statement. “We must amplify the voices of people with lived experience and ensure future arrangements present a clear, long-term vision for improving mental health outcomes and reducing suicide.”
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the
information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept
any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images,
videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information
contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright
issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.
Legal Disclaimer:
EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.
