In Australia, doctors and psychologist Lament publicly that the mental health system cannot meet the needs of new patients.During the pandemic, more and more reports stated that Australians have been seeking advice Self-harm and Eating disorder.
The system already has serious shortcomings, with limited high-skilled psychologists and insufficient hospital capacity to provide assistance to patients seeking support. Having failed to prepare for mental health during potential crises and has not responded adequately now, the Australian health system and government need to take responsibility for not providing people with the tools they need to improve themselves. The status quo will affect the health system of future generations in Australia, affecting family services and the economy.Mental health issues may lead to physical unhealthy or addictionThere will be generations of people of working age who will not be able to complete demanding jobs, nor will they be able to handle the pressures of work and life.
Before the pandemic, Australia had a mental illness crisis-the environment was already turbulent and the time for chaos was ripe.Federal government admit Nearly half of Australian adults will experience mental health problems in their lifetime. In 2019, suicide was the leading cause of death for Australians aged 15 to 49. Mental illness affects all Australians-even if we don’t have it ourselves, our family, friends and colleagues will inevitably experience illness.This National Productivity Council (NPC) report The mental health report shows that there are approximately “2.3 million Australians with mild mental illness, 1.2 million with moderate mental illness, and 800,000 with severe occasional or persistent mental illness.”
Violence against women is prevalent in Australia-according to statistics, an average of one woman is killed by her current or former partner every week Our watch——This is inextricably linked to the growing mental illness of Australians. The psychological distress of adults is both the result and the cause of male violence. In September 2020, the psychiatrist reported Number of Victorian women seeking mental health treatment hits record high, Including many people who have not reported a problem before.
Professor Suresh Sunderam, head of the Department of Psychiatry at Monash University in Melbourne, said: “With the onset of the pandemic and the lockdown, the demand for services initially decreased.” “However, with uncertainty, social isolation, With the existence of economic pressure, family separation and chaos, the demand for services has increased sharply. This is aimed at mental health, domestic violence and child protection services.”
The cost of our failed health system is human life, and it is also a measurable economic and social loss.
The National People’s Congress report estimates that in 2018-19, the cost of mental illness in Australia is approximately US$220 billion per year, or US$600 million per day. This includes the annual direct economic costs of approximately US$4 to 70 billion in health, housing, and justice, as well as the loss of productivity for working-age people who are unable to reach their potential due to psychological distress.
CON CHRONIS/AFP via Getty Images
“Currently, underfunded services are restricting themselves from providing limited services to those who need them most,” Sandram said. “Lack of psychosocial, community and rehabilitation services… [and] Vulnerable groups such as indigenous people, refugees and asylum seekers, immigrants with low levels of education, people in rural and remote communities, and homeless people are disadvantaged in terms of access to services. “
In the end, the mental health system was broken before the pandemic and is now even more chaotic. Any hope? One beacon is the introduction of telemedicine appointments, which is crucial for Australian seniors and people living in remote areas. Public health subsidized mental health services, as described in the Medicare Benefits Scheme (MBS)-provided by telephone or video conference-Peak in April 2020At that time, about half of MBS mental health services were provided through telemedicine.
In Melbourne, Cabrini Health is opening a Mental Health Hospital for Women Address barriers to seeking or benefiting from mental health treatment (addressing the risk of violence, sexual harassment or abuse and the lack of gender-specific treatment in mixed-gender wards). Considering that there are only 30 beds for private patients, this is only a drop in the ocean, but its existence may persuade other private and public hospitals to accept female-only mental health institutions.
In addition, the Royal Commission February Report The Victorian Department of Mental Health Services made 74 recommendations to modify the mental health system.
“The report is expected to become a watershed in Victoria’s mental health, so it may become a road map for the rest of the country,” Sandram said. “It recognizes the impact of a chronically underfunded system, and a return to stricter practices in response to overwhelming demand, how the workforce has become demoralized and non-participating, and how the system cannot meet the needs of the community. Then it came up with A blueprint showing how many of these factors can be corrected.”
As Sandram admits, this is not perfect, but it is a beacon in the dark. Sydney is under a long-term lockdown, Melbourne has just passed fifth, and our borders are closed. Any light is welcome.
Cat Woods is a freelance writer in Australia. She writes articles on art, culture and tourism for international publications, and regularly writes articles on music for publications in the United States and Australia. When not writing, Cat teaches yoga, Pilates and Barre, listens to podcasts, watches anything with subtitles, and takes her two very smart and very bossy dogs at her seaside home in Melbourne’s inner south. Take a walk nearby.
The views expressed in this article are those of the author.
