Changing Australia’s mental health trajectory with preventive measures
This week I was delighted to virtually attend the inaugural Preventive Mental Health Symposium, hosted by the Public Health Association of Australia in partnership with Beyond Blue.
The symposium brought together leaders from across public and mental health sectors to discuss how we can collectively amplify our efforts in promoting mental wellbeing and preventing mental health conditions.
Despite increased investment in mental health services over recent decades, the overall rate of people in Australia experiencing mental health conditions is not improving.
For some population groups like young people, the rate of mental health conditions is getting worse, with the proportion of young people experiencing mental health conditions increasing dramatically from 25 per cent in 2007 to 40 per cent in 2021.
The symposium discussed the range of risk factors associated with increasing rates of mental ill-health, including adverse childhood experiences, climate change, COVID-19, social media, and future uncertainty.
ReachOut’s 2023 What Are You Worried About Report reflects some of these risk factors as well, with three-quarters of young people surveyed saying they were concerned about the future (75 per cent), while two-thirds reporting that anxiety (62 per cent) and COVID-19 (62 per cent) were also issues of concern.
While a growing number of evidence-based programs are currently available to promote mental wellbeing and reduce the risk of experiencing mental ill-health, there is a big gap between what we know works and what is happening in practice and policy.
Mental Health Australia calls on the government to work with the sector to address the underlying drivers of poor mental health, along with rapidly scaling up existing evidence-based wellbeing and prevention approaches, and continuing to develop new and better solutions based on research and data.
There is a role for everyone in this - from taking steps at a personal level to improve and protect our own mental wellbeing, to implementing wellbeing and preventive interventions through existing services and communities, along with taking a whole-of-government approach, that embeds mental health in all policies, and measures our collective progress to improving our wellbeing.
At the national level, Mental Health Australia will continue working with our members and the sector to advocate for implementation of clear actions under Australia’s National Preventive Health Strategy to promote and protect the mental health of all people in Australia, alongside investments to improve our mental health treatment system.
Carolyn Nikoloski CEO, Mental Health Australia |