{"id":67306,"date":"2023-09-12T19:32:56","date_gmt":"2023-09-12T19:32:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hotcelebon.com\/?p=67306"},"modified":"2023-09-12T19:32:56","modified_gmt":"2023-09-12T19:32:56","slug":"not-good-enough-peak-body-slams-labor-inaction-on-mental-health","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hotcelebon.com\/lifestyle\/not-good-enough-peak-body-slams-labor-inaction-on-mental-health\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018Not good enough\u2019: Peak body slams Labor inaction on mental health"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Mental Health Australia chair Matt Berriman says the prime minister is missing in action on mental health and has yet to show his commitment to the issue almost nine months after the government halved the number of Medicare-funded psychology sessions.<\/p>\n

Berriman will on Wednesday tell an audience of federal MPs that Labor\u2019s inaction is leaving millions of people struggling to get the support they need, as research shows the cost of living is affecting the mental health of more than one in two Australians.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Mental Health Australia chair Matt Berriman will tell federal MPs on Wednesday that mental health appears to have slipped off the agenda.<\/span>Credit: <\/span>Simon Schluter<\/cite><\/p>\n

\u201cThere is one person who is crucial to driving this change and prioritising mental health reform. Where is our prime minister?\u201d Berriman will say, according to a copy of his speech.<\/p>\n

\u201cWith one in five of us impacted by a mental health condition each year, why is mental health not a national priority and getting the attention of our prime minister?<\/p>\n

\u201cWith suicide rates continuing to be high, and over nine people dying a day, why aren\u2019t we focusing on our own nation\u2019s wellbeing and mental health?\u201d<\/p>\n

The federal government has been quiet on mental health reform since its controversial decision last year to revert the number of Medicare-subsidised psychology sessions from 20 a year to the pre-pandemic maximum of 10. While the measure allowed thousands more people to access the system, psychologists say it has left those with complex mental illnesses lacking support.<\/p>\n

The government is yet to respond to last year\u2019s review of the system, in which people wait a median of 22 days to see a professional and pay an average $90 out-of-pocket fee.<\/p>\n

Labor has created peak bodies for carers and people with mental ill-health, funded 500 new post-graduate psychology places, and is opening 61 Head to Health centres for mental health support. However, the sector has called for more substantive reform.<\/p>\n

Berriman will say a whole-of-government commitment is needed \u201cto try and fix a dysfunctional and underfunded system\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cMental health was rapidly brought to the forefront during the COVID-19 crisis but appears to have just as quickly slipped off the agenda. This is not good enough. It is not a problem that is going away without a larger focus on taking action,\u201d he will say.<\/p>\n

\u201cCommitment to mental health reform should be treated with the urgency and respect it deserves \u2013 our calls for action have been ignored for too long.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mental Health Australia, which is the non-government peak body representing more than 80 member organisations, wants the government to develop and fund a multi-year mental health road map and workforce strategy.<\/p>\n

It says there should be more access to early intervention and digital mental health supports so people can get help before problems snowball, as well as options for people with complex needs who require more than 10 psychologist sessions a year. To that end, it says the government needs to fund psychosocial services outside the National Disability Insurance Scheme.<\/p>\n

Ipsos research commissioned by the peak body and published on Wednesday shows 59 per cent of Australians say the rising cost of living is having a major effect on their mental health, with 45 per cent particularly worried about housing costs.<\/p>\n

One in five say that cost is a barrier to accessing mental health support. But when they can access it, 93 per cent of people said that support improved their mental health.<\/p>\n

Mental Health Australia chief executive Carolyn Nikoloski said there were many key recommendations from a 2020 Productivity Commission report into the mental health system that had not been touched.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe government needs to be setting clear roles and responsibilities for mental health across the Commonwealth, state and territory governments and the sector, as well as improve regional planning and commissioning of services and implementing strong accountability mechanisms,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Berriman says it is time for the government to focus on outcomes and accountability, not just talk.<\/p>\n

\u201cInaction on mental health reform is widening the chasm for access to mental health services \u2013 leaving millions of Australians struggling to get the support they need,\u201d he will say in his speech.<\/p>\n

\u201cLooking ahead to the mid-year economic and fiscal outlook, and the 2025 federal election, a mental health road map must be funded beyond budget cycles and with foresight and vision to rectify the grave disparities in mental health care.\u201d <\/p>\n

The government was contacted for comment.<\/p>\n

Cut through the noise of federal politics with news, views and expert analysis from Jacqueline Maley. Subscribers can sign up to our weekly Inside Politics newsletter here.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

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Save articles for later Add articles to your saved list and come back to them any time. Mental Health Australia chair Matt Berriman says the prime minister is missing in action on mental health and has yet to show his commitment to the issue almost nine months after the government halved the number of Medicare-funded psychology sessions. 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