A study of thousands of people with psychotic illness provides evidence of the need to provide more support and better-coordinated community mental health services in Australia. The important new study People Living with Psychotic Illness released by the Department of Health and Ageing is the largest ever carried out in Australia on the impact of conditions such as schizophrenia.
This paper from SANE Australia summarises the key findings of the Department's report, and outlines the action needed in response to them. SANE Australia has identified several areas for action including:
• Wider education across the community to identify people who may be in need of assessment;• More access to psychosocial rehabilitation/recovery programs to continue education and find employment;• Focused assistance to help people manage and reduce symptoms and continued research to improve effectiveness of treatments;• Regular focus on physical health including targeted quit smoking resources; • Simplify the system so people can connect with the support they need;• More education and support to GPs treating people with psychotic illness;• More public housing including supported accommodation.
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