National Mental Health Strategy: Is it enough to tackle Australia’s mental health crisis?

Pharma News: The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists (RANZCP) and Australian Psychological Society (APS) have welcomed the release of the National Mental Health Workforce Strategy. The APS urges both Federal and state governments to forge ahead with the sector, emphasising the significance of this national endeavour aimed at improving mental health services across the country.

RANZCP President, Dr Elizabeth Moore said “Right across Australia people are finding it too hard, too complex or too expensive to get the mental health care they need. The system is unable to keep up with the demand for mental health support services.

“One of the biggest barriers to people getting the help they need is a critical and chronic shortage of psychiatrists and mental health workers. We need to immediately and sustainably invest in the foundations of the mental health system – its workforce. A delay in receiving care means mental health issues are more likely to become chronic, more severe, more difficult and costly to treat.”

The ABS survey of more than 16,000 people found little to no improvement in mental health rates or outcomes in the last 12-months, with almost a quarter (21.5%) of Australian’s suffering a mental disorder during 2020-22. Anxiety was the most common group of mental disorders (17.2%) followed by affective disorders like depression (7.5%) and substance abuse (3.3%).

Notably, nearly 40% of young people aged 16-24 grappled with a mental disorder within the last 12 months, demonstrating minimal improvement from previous reporting periods. Of these, 45.5% were young females and 32.4% were young males.

APS President, Dr Catriona Davis-McCabe, highlighted the urgency to sustain the momentum toward enhanced mental health services. She underscored the pressing issue of workforce inadequacy within the field of psychology, revealing that only 35% of the Federal Government’s workforce target is presently being met.

“The workforce shortfall in psychology is one of the largest in the country, with just 35% of the Federal Government’s workforce target currently being met,” stated Dr Davis-McCabe. She added, “If we deliver this strategy in full properly funded, we will have a more sustainable and well-supported workforce capable of delivering mental health treatment and support tailored to current and future community needs.”

In response to these statistics, the Hon Mark Butler MP, Minister for Health and Aged Care, stressed the critical role of a robust mental health workforce in delivering quality care. He stated, “The quality of the mental health system relies on its workforce. Australians deserve a mental health care system where people can get compassionate help from highly skilled professionals.”

Assistant Minister for Mental Health and Suicide Prevention, the Hon Emma McBride MP, highlighted the essence of a dedicated and proficient mental health workforce in fortifying the mental health care system. She affirmed, “The backbone of our mental health care system is the dedicated professionals who work in it, but recent challenges have stretched our systems of care, and the mental health workforce.”

The National Mental Health Workforce Strategy acknowledges and addresses several significant challenges faced by the mental health workforce in Australia, including workforce shortages, stigma, unclear scopes of practice, collaboration barriers, distribution disparities, data limitations, and surging demand for mental health services.

The APS, an integral member of the National Mental Health Workforce Strategy Taskforce, said it remains committed to collaborating with the Albanese Government to ensure the success of this critical strategy, paving the way for a modernised and equitable mental health system that leaves no Australian behind.

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