A landmark mental health agreement signed by federal, state and territory governments three years ago is failing, a scathing Productivity Commission inquiry has concluded. Source: ABC News.
The Productivity Commission said Australia’s mental health and suicide prevention system was out of reach for many, and the national agreement needed a complete rewrite.
It also issued a call for an “immediate” fix for 500,000 Australians who have no access to specialist mental health care because it is only available inside the NDIS.
The damning final review was handed to the Government on October 16, but was published on Tuesday.
The commission found mental health services were falling short, leading to “well-known but still shocking” consequences: 3000 deaths by suicide each year, one in five Australians experiencing mental illness, and costs to the economy of more than $200 billion a year.
“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 wrote.
The Productivity Commission also pointed to specific events, including the COVID-19 pandemic and the failed Voice to Parliament referendum, as factors affecting the mental health of Australians over those three years.
It said there were fundamental flaws in the national mental health strategy, calling for a complete rewrite of the agreement and a one-year extension on its 2026 expiry to allow time for a redesign.
The Productivity Commission also said, as a priority, states and territories must fix significant gaps in support for half a million people with psychosocial conditions outside of the NDIS.
Health Minister Mark Butler acknowledged the need for further work and said the report would be brought to the next meeting with his state counterparts to discuss reform.
Shadow Health Minister Anne Ruston said the Government was leaving behind people with complex mental health conditions.
“This review lays bare the need for better access to support for some of the most vulnerable Australians in our community.”
FULL STORY
National mental health agreement failing, Productivity Commission finds (By Jake Evans, ABC News)
National FREE 24/7 Crisis Services: • Lifeline 13 11 14 www.lifeline.org.au • Suicide Call Back Service 1300 659 467 www.suicidecallbackservice.org.au • Kids Helpline 1800 55 1800 www.kidshelpline.com.au • MensLine Australia 1300 78 99 78 www.mensline.org.au • Beyond Blue Support Service 1300 22 4636
