Following the release of the 2018-2019 federal budget in Australia, many reports were hailing it as THE budget for mental health. Is this really the case or could the government be doing more?
It’s a tricky question. Even though the government has committed an extra $338 million in mental health funding, many people would say this isn’t enough. Many people would argue that the government is spending more on foreign aid than on its education and health systems. However, what many don’t consider are the barriers governments face to increasing their funding in the first place.
A recent World Health Organisation (WHO) report on mental health describes two of these barriers and today, I will be showing whether Australia is close to breaking these barriers. My verdict? Australia is well on its way to changing the face of mental health as we know it. We just have to be patient.
- Limited relationships to civil society:
The WHO report states that “governance is not just about government.” Rather, a government also needs to have strong relationships with non-profit organisations and civil society to create more effective and accountable policies, laws and services for mental health. Without these relationships, the government can’t get an accurate feel for what is important to the public and this results in less than impressive policies and funding for much-needed services.
In Australia, the federal budget highlights the government’s attempt to increase relationships with non-profit organisations and civil society. In fact, Health Minister Greg Hunt detailed how not only will Lifeline receive $33.8 million to support its telephone services, but beyondblue is also getting an investment of $37.6 million to expand their Way Back Support Service which provides follow-up care to people discharged from hospital after a suicide attempt. The Medical Research Future Fund will also use its $125 million in funding to drive mental illness research and a new initiative called the Million Minds Mission.
You may be wondering- why is funding for these groups so important? The answer lies in the WHO report. Providing funding to these groups will give them more opportunities to not only help those with mental illness, but to also have a say in Australia’s mental health policies. Without this funding in the first place, the government will be provided with limited information about mental illnesses and this will definitely hinder the creation of policies with are universal and progressive.
2. Limited mental health and social care services in community- based settings:
In this section of the report, WHO advocates for the development of comprehensive community-based mental health and social care services. They also show how these services should be integrated into primary care.
Has the Australian federal budget provided enough funding to the mental health sector to make these community-based mental health services possible? Although more work needs to be done, they did provide $20 million to The Australian College of Mental Health Nurses. This funding will go towards a nurse-led community mental health service which will help tackle the health effects of loneliness among older Australians. With men over 85 years of age having the highest risk of suicide of all ages, this funding for community services will go a long way in targeting those people who are most at risk.
So what has all this really shown? It’s become clear that this year’s federal budget actually could be THE budget for mental health. It’s not a perfect template but it’s just about there. With a little more tweaking and a little bit more money, Australia could continue breaking down the barriers presented by the WHO report. In saying that, I’m just going to leave this blog right here and come back to it next year to see whether my predictions actually DO come true!
*Originally published on BLLC*
Simos Standpoints 