Mental health services in Australia are overwhelmingly under-resourced and many people are unable to access even basic public sector mental health care, according to the September issue of the Australian Nursing Journal.

This month the ANJ reports on a new national survey by the Mental Health Council of Australia (MHCA), the Brain and Mind Research Institute and the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission, which describes ‘experiences of injustice and despair' for people accessing mental health services in Australia.

Inadequate funding and a lack of staff are forcing the premature discharge of people from acute inpatient services, and nurses and other clinicians are struggling to provide adequate support, the journal reports.

ANF federal secretary Jill Iliffe said it was totally unacceptable that people were unable to access basic mental health services in 21st century Australia.

‘There has been a failure by all levels of government to commit to sufficient levels of funding and to the implementation of the national mental health plan to ensure all Australians have access to mental health care when they need it,' Ms Iliffe said.

‘Almost every family in Australia will be affected by mental health problems at some stage, but currently fewer than 40% of people who require mental health care actually receive it in a 12-month period.1

‘We need to see a big increase in the number of mental health nurses in Australia to help meet increasing demand for services, with an immediate increase in the number of undergraduate places for nurses. We would like to see some targeted scholarships for postgraduate mental health courses to boost the number of qualified mental health nurses immediately, and ensure they are adequately prepared to provide the services the community requires,' Ms Iliffe said.

The ANF supports recommendations for a ‘whole of government service' model for mental health care; giving the federal minister for health responsibility for mental health care reform; as well as increases in expenditure to reflect the real costs of care.

‘Urgent action is needed to address the skills shortages and declining morale of the mental health workforce,' Ms Iliffe said. ‘Funding must be boosted immediately, particularly in the community sector, and a reporting mechanism established to ensure positive outcomes for both mental health care consumers and the providers of that care.'

Vital signs

-- National spending on mental health accounts for just over 6% of the total health budget, even though mental illness accounts for over 15% of the total health burden

-- Acute public sector mental health beds decreased 33% from 1993-2002, a period of unprecedented demand for services; during the same period total beds fell 26% and there was an 11% reduction in clinical staff

Source: Department of Health and Ageing, National Mental Health Report 2004, Commonwealth of Australia, 2004.

References

1 Hickie, I. et al. Australian mental health reform: Time for real outcomes, Medical Journal of Australia, 2005, 182:8, pp.401-406.

AUSTRALIAN NURSING FEDERATION
http://www.anf.org.au