Survey to target mental health
01-January-2012
A nationwide survey next year will grade Australia's mental health services for the first time.
Thousands of people will be consulted in the preparation of a national report card on mental illness.
The survey is needed to review a mental health system "characterised by bad planning and service gaps", Mental Health Minister Mark Butler said.
The survey will also look at suicide prevention services and document the national suicide rate.
"It was made clear to me during my consultations with the mental health experts and with people who are directly affected by mental illness that we need better reporting and monitoring so we know what's working and what's not," he said.
Professor Allan Fels, who will lead the commission, said the report card would mark "a new chapter for mental health in Australia".
Mr Butler said the report card would cast a spotlight on mental health through surveying people with a mental illness and their carers.
"It will bring much needed transparency to the system. It will give us insights into service gaps, where we need to do more, and where services are working and working well," he said.
Mental health reform advocate Professor Patrick McGorry said the report card needed to measure access to health care and the quality of the service.
"The average Australian does not have access to high quality mental health care and that's even true in the private sector," he said.
"The commission needs to be talking to the whole of Australia."
As first published in Adelaide Now
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