National report card on mental health and suicide prevention

A Contributing life : the 2012 national report card on mental health and suicide prevention has been published recently by National Mental Health.  It examines how Australian looks after the estimated 3.2 million Australians each year who live with mental health difficulties, as well as their families and carers.   The report shows that although Australia leads the world in progressive mental health policy, it falls down in delivery.  Ten specific recommendations are made, such as: 

• reducing the early death of Australians with severe mental illness and improving their physical health

• minimising the use of seclusion and restraint

• increasing access to mental health services from 6-8 to 12 per cent of Australia’s population

• making the mental health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples a higher priority

• stopping people from being discharged from mental health services into homelessness or unstable homes

• increasing the employment rates of people with mental illness and paying greater attention to supporting them at work

• increasing access to home based visiting to support families and children

• providing effective, local interventions to prevent suicide.