Australia’s Mental Health Plan Needs Urgent Reform
Grassroots advocacy group, Australians for Mental Health (AfMH) is calling for urgent and significant reform following a damning assessment found the national plan to improve mental health and prevent suicide is “not fit for purpose”.
The Productivity Commission’s interim report released today found the National Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Agreement is “fundamentally flawed” with objectives too broad to be measurable and no clear path to meaningful reform.
“This report confirms what we’ve been saying all along: we can’t treat our way out of the mental health crisis,” Australians for Mental Health Executive Director Chris Gambian said.
“Our approach to mental health is fragmented, ineffective and overly focused on crisis response rather than proactive measures to stop mental harm in the first place.
“The problem with this agreement is who made it: health ministers focused solely on the health system. But a well-funded community centre or a crackdown on workplace psychological injuries would deliver better, faster results for less money than waiting for people to get sick enough to need treatment.”
Despite the agreement being signed in 2022, mental health outcomes haven’t improved and suicide rates remain worringly high, particularly for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. A massive 500,000 Australians still lack access to psychological support after being excluded from the NDIS.
“Mental ill-health is complex and influenced by a wide range of factors including housing costs, employment, social connection and community support. These are all areas that sit outside the health portfolio,” Mr Gambian said.
“This is why we need a Minister for Mental Health and Wellbeing who reports directly to the Prime Minister, with counterparts in every state and territory. This would ensure a whole-of-government approach that addresses the root causes of mental distress, not just the symptoms.”
Australians for Mental Health is calling for structural reforms, including:
“The Commission painted a sobering picture. We need measurable outcomes and genuine accountability. But this can only happen when mental health is everyone’s business, not just relegated to the health portfolio,” Mr Gambian said.
“The Prime Minister has the power to create the structures needed to drive real change. Mental health deserves the same level of national leadership and investment as other critical portfolios, and the wellbeing of Australians depends on it.”