Australia Mental Health

Mental illness disorders and suicide as surveys and statistics would show, affects Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people at a higher rate than the rest of the Australian population (Elder, Evans, Nizette, 2013). Thirty percent of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population aged 18 years and over experienced some sort psychological distress at a greater than normal level during the year 2012 to 2013 (ABS, 2015). Compared to other Australians, the Indigenous people aged 18 years and over were three times more prone to experiencing psychological distress than the rest of the Australian population (ABS, 2015). Mental health services treat more Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders in contrast with the Non-Aboriginal population, around

It is important that the strategy has to draw on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives, understanding what they need and provide the most effective way to reduce the mental illness and suicide prevention (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare 2009). According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfares, “Closing the gap” is a continuing national program which to help closing the gap of mental health of ATSI people. In the area of improving the mental health of Indigenous people, one strategy under the program is the National Action Plan on Mental Health 2006-2011. This plan elaborates that health practitioners who working in Indigenous community are being trained to identify and address mental illness, as well as other associated issues among indigenous people and make referrals for their treatment. In addition, the national plan also highlights that develop the capacity of health practitioner, local community and community organisation, provide better professional support and resources to enable Indigenous people to improve their mental health and develop cultural awareness and suicide prevention training for local health practitioner in mainstream

The lack of treatment for mental illnesses — due partly from the stigma with which it is associated with — comes with a number of public issues: economically,

Contemporary Challenges in Mental Health Care Provision and Management 2 B73M20 Cohort 09/09 Student ID: 20328

Under the Mental Health Act 2014, mental illness is defined as a medical condition whereby thought, perception, mood or memories are considered to be disturbed (Vic, p. 15). But at what point does this Act deem it acceptable to override a person who is experiencing mental illness right to choice around their treatment or freedom? Likewise is the process of a compulsory treatment order or admission as an involuntary patient conducive towards an individual’s wellbeing and recovery from mental illness? This short essay aims to explore these questions through analysing the discourses of care, control and protection. The interventions imposed on the individual of forced medication, restraint and seclusion will be considered within a non-indigenous family context in contemporary Australian mores and norms surrounding cultural perceptions of mental illness and mental health displayed in policy and legislation.

One of the biggest contributors for poor healthcare is the stigma against mental health. This stigma allows healthcare providers to view those with a mental illness as having low relevance, thus creating disinclination towards providing adequate resources and/or care. This negative stance, based on misinformation and prejudice creates those that have a mental illness to lose their self confidence. Because of this loss, people with mental illness decide not to contribute to their health or livelihood. In the past fifty years, many advances have been made in mental healthcare. However, with the attached stigma, many people choose to not seek out treatment.

With the data presented in this paper, it is clearly demonstrating that the Indigenous Australian continue to experience major disadvantage on health and social-emotional well being outcomes than other Non-Indigenous Australian. The cultural factor and the effects of unfairly social determinants of health are clearly contribute in poor physical and psychological health experienced by numerous Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. It is important for both health organisation and individual health professional delivery a culture safety care, help Indigenous people to improve the capacity of the mental health workforce, and working together with them to closing the gap between Indigenous and other Australian population.

In the twentieth century, Mental Health has become an expanding issue across the generations and there are various approaches to mental health and mental illness around the world (Headspace, 2018) A range of mental health issues exists, ranging from depression, anxiety, phobias and personality disorders. The effects of mental health issues have seen an increased rate of suicide and cost the South Australian community millions of dollars, highlighting the extreme need for better Mental Health promotion across Australia. According to the Australia Bureau of Statistics, the "standardised death rate for persons who accessed mental health-related treatments in 2011 were almost twice (1.9 times) that of the standardised death rate for the total

A mental illness is an issue that affects one’s behaviour, emotions, thoughts and ability to interact with others (Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing 2007). Common mental illnesses in Australia include anxiety, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, depression, eating disorders and personality disorders, with the most prevalent being anxiety disorders and depression. Anyone can develop a mental illness, although suffering from a chronic medical illness, experiencing a highly stressful or traumatic event, having a blood relation with a mental disorder or drug and alcohol use can increase one’s risk (Mayo Clinic 2015).

The National Health Survey exemplified mental and behavioural conditions to be the highest major long-term health condition experienced by Australians in 2014-2015 (ABS 2015). As mental health conditions contribute significantly to the burden of illness and injury in the Australian community, it is fundamental safe and quality therapeutic treatment practices are implemented for people experiencing mental illness in a clinical context (ACSQHC 2010; AIHW 2016). To address and alleviate the increasing prevalence and severity of mental illness in the community, a number of studies have identified the pressing need to implement innovative and effective approaches such as art-based therapy practices in acute psychiatric settings (Blomdahl

Mental health is defined as an individual’s optimal care in managing the stress of everyday life, through their own unique approach and can efficiently and successfully make vital contribution within the community they live in (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, CDC, 2013). Since a break in a person’s optimal mental state affects not only the individual but society, it is important to understand what it means to have a break in one’s state of mental health and the different categories that is associated with mental illness. Focus will also be paid to why there is a need for the reformation of the mental health act in Canada; the social determinants that is associated with mental health and their contribution to society’s health’s. Finally, focus also need to be placed on how mental health is being promoted to society the stigma generally associated with it.

Mental health problems are considered to “interfere with how a person thinks, feels and behaves” (Australian Government Department of Health, 2007, para. 3). Considered to be more prominent, yet less severe than mental illnesses, mental health problems are experienced for

I am particularly interested in preventative mental health education. Mental illness can present itself in a variety of extreme forms, necessitating intensive treatment and rehabilitation. Unfortunately, the demand for such mental health services exceeds its supply, making timely access a critical issue. I think societies lack of awareness of mental health issues leads to two major problems: (i) individuals are not equipped with the tools to manage their personal health before a crisis arises, and (ii) our communities end up providing insufficient mental health services. To combat these issues, a social worker can help provide individuals and society at large with preventative mental health education. Empowering individuals to better manage their mental health can reduce the need for professional crisis intervention.

The role of Psychiatric Rehabilitation worker (PsyR) emerged with the aim of helping people with mental illnesses integrate into the community and assisting these individuals to regain independence. Prior to 1980, the goal of the PsyR professional was to focus on treating symptoms in order to stabilize behaviors and decrease hospitalization rate. After 1980, there was a shift in the way people viewed the role of a PsyR professional. The focus turned from simply maintaining stability to rehabilitation that focused on helping people with mental illness achieve independence, self-awareness, and a better quality of life. According to Drake, Alan, Mueser and Howard (2003), there have been profound changes in our knowledge about serious mental health disorders and in the development of effective treatment that permits these individuals to live and thrive in a community of their choice. These changes have inspired a paradigm shift in the way services are delivered to individuals living with mental illness. It is a consequence of these changes

The treatment and prevention of mental illness can be difficult, and as with physical illness, no case or result is the same for everyone. Treatment varies for each illness, as well as for individual client needs and level of severity. With the numerous choices of treatment available today, people around the world have a greater chance at not only preventing or decreasing mental illness, but also the opportunity to enhance their mental health through the public health model of primary, secondary, and tertiary prevention.