The+Crisis+of+Mental+Health+in+Australia

Name: Jacob Wegener Student Number: n7541163 Tutor: Katie Page


 * __Artefact:__**

This artefact is a cartoon picture of a doctor detailing his own mental health concerns to his patient, and afterwards asking the patient what his own problems were. The image displays the doctor looking as if he is in some distress whilst the patient appears to be more calm however still quite unhappy. This cartoon was chosen as an artefact for this page as it represents how mental illnesses can affect anyone and that patients are so often left untreated and/or without the proper care.


 * __Public Health Issue:__**

The public health issue being presented based around the aforementioned artefact is ‘Mental Health in Australia 2011’, with specific focus on the progress and improvements of our mental health system with regard to treatment and awareness. The paper will detail a literature review, socio-cultural analysis and an artefact analysis with learning reflections in relation to the topic. The main focus will be on how far Australia has come in improving our mental health status and what needs to be worked on to ensure healthier, happier lives for our population.


 * __Literature Review:__**

The amount of research and literature which has focused on mental health has been growing steadily in recent years due to the topic becoming increasingly concerning and problematic within society. In Australia, many newspaper and journal articles have publicly slurred our mental health system, much of which is due to the lack of improvements which have occurred with regard to awareness and more notably treatment methods and access. In her article titled “The thin blue line of mental health in Australia”, Clifford (2010) states that the nations’ attempts to reform our mental health system has resulted in a number of deficiencies which have caused even further concern for our mental health status. The Australian Bureau of Statistics (2007) found after conducting the ‘National Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing’ that one in five Australians aged 16-85 years had a mental disorder in 2007. This figure isn’t particularly troublesome if one were to assume all of these mentally ill individuals were receiving some form of treatment, however the survey found that this is certainly not the case. It has since been widely concluded that mental health service use and access to treatment has been less than optimal for the Australian population (Burgess et al., 2009). These aforementioned issues represent only some of the difficult concerns surrounding Australia’s mental health system, as will be discussed in this literature review.

Probably the biggest change to occur within mental health in Australia is deinstitutionalization, which is basically the process of transferring mental patients out of specialised institutions and into community care. Since the arrival of deinstitutionalization in Australia, there have been many opposing views and results with regard to the effectiveness of this treatment change. Goldney (2003) states that even though much research has found a number of favourable outcomes from deinstitutionalization, there are also some shortcomings which have been proved to have negatively affected a range of mental health patients in Australia. For example, since deinstitutionalization there has been a large reduction in the number of in-patient psychiatric beds in hospitals, which is due to the idea that fewer beds would be needed due to the increase in community care facilities around the nation (Botha et al., 2009). This issue of course is important as mental health patients, particularly those in need of acute care, are therefore unable to access hospital services as easily as they would like. It is then imperative that these community care facilities are coordinated and run as productively as possible so that patients do not need to frequently seek hospital admissions.

The decision by the government to deinstitutionalize mental health patients in Australia has not been the only significant step towards building a better mental health system. Particularly in recent years the government has invested a considerable amount of money into reforming mental health in the country, with a total sum of $2.2 billion to be put towards this priority for the next five years (Australian Government, 2011). So it certainly cannot be said that nothing is being done to fix our mental health system, as the government is continually funding new awareness campaigns and treatment facilities nationwide. However, for a long time now psychologists have sought to make people realise that money can’t buy happiness (McPhee, 2002), and despite the fact that the government is spending so much on mental health there has been no significant improvements in the last ten years in relation to the populations’ mental wellbeing.

Much of what the Australian government is putting towards mental health is adequate treatment. Over the years a large amount of research has been conducted with the purpose of finding the most effective treatment methods to cure mental health disorders. Treatments which are consistently used to care for mentally ill individuals include medications, cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT), community support and less commonly electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). The most controversial of these methods in recent years has been medications, mainly due to the risks of overuse and undesirable side effects which often come with a number of antidepressants and particularly antipsychotics. Kiraly, Gunning & Leiser (2008) note that many medications typically prescribed for serious mental illnesses have been associated with a number of significant adverse effects, even going so far as to state that these drugs can potentially cause sudden death if they are taken with other common medications. Another important issue is medication adherence, as Howland (2007) states that patients are so often unreliable in taking their prescribed medications when they are supposed to. Probably the most favourable form of treatment for mental health disorders has been cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT), as it is derived from an array of important theoretical and psychological beliefs which have been built over time through accurate research and evidence based practice (Merrick & Dattilio, 2006).

Along with treatments, lack of access has also been a concern with regard to Australia’s mental health system. This factor is being worked on extensively with awareness campaigns being presented to attempt to inform people that there is treatment and care available for mental disorders. Organisations such as Beyond Blue and R U OK? represent a couple of awareness strategies which have aimed to increase acceptance of mental health in Australia. According to Prince et al. (2007), “mental health awareness needs to be integrated into all aspects of health and social policy, health-system planning, and delivery of primary and secondary general health care.” This will hopefully help to reduce the negative stigma associated with mental health disorders and therefore increase access use of those suffering from illnesses such as depression, schizophrenia, etc. Brouilette (2006) notes that a vital aspect of dealing with mental health concerns is dispelling this painful stigma which comes with it. By doing this Australians can begin to become more accepting of mental health patients and hopefully lead to better treatment and access for affected individuals.


 * __Cultural and Social Analysis:__**

Treatment and awareness of mental health in Australia is continually influenced by a range of cultural and social factors, particularly in relation to the stigma which society has come to develop on the subject. This stigma is likely the most notable societal factor which has affected the treatment and prevention of mental health disorders worldwide. As stated by Pinfold (2004), stigma is a worldwide public health concern that has effectively stopped many individuals from seeking treatment and inhibiting recovery from mental health disorders. This is exactly why awareness of this issue is so important in reducing the stigma and making the population more accepting and understanding of these mental health concerns. Public health experts need to continue focusing on awareness campaigns such as R U OK? Day and obtain research which evaluates whether the public is responding to these messages in a way that encourages people to actually seek treatment or at least talk to someone about their concerns.

Another socio-cultural issue affecting mental health is discrimination, which is essentially what happens to many mental health patients as a result of the negative stigma which was detailed above. Alarmingly, it was found in a study conducted by Lyons (2009) that in the last ten years there has been no improvements in mental health with regards to discrimination in the community and workplace setting, despite there being much knowledge and awareness being presented in public education and advertising campaigns. These results then raise the question of whether or not anything can really be done about the state of our mental health system. If our culture and society appears so accustomed to perceiving mentally ill patients as “bizarre” and “dangerous” then how is this to be effectively changed for the better? It’s an issue that may realistically be never resolved, however the problem would be made worse if the nation were to sit back and leave the situation as it is. Despite studies showing awareness campaigns have not significantly improved the state of Australia’s mental health system, there has been evidence to suggest that particular individuals have benefited from receiving knowledge about the treatment that is available to treat mental health disorders. Therefore, it is essential to keep the public aware of the issue so that society can begin to reduce the stigma and discrimination that has become heavily associated with this matter.

Moving away from the social factors contributing to the state of mental health in Australia, there are also cultural issues which continue to impact the treatment and awareness of the population. For example, it is common for an Arab individual in psychological distress to present to a health service reporting a physical complaint (Hamdan, 2009). This is likely due to the stigma that the Arabian culture feels is associated with mental health problems. It is therefore imperative that awareness campaigns are targeted at a range of cultures and religions so that mental health service use can be encouraged effectively across the nation.


 * __Analysis of Artefact and Learning Reflections:__**

The artefact I chose is suitable for mental health as it is able to show that mental health disorders can happen to anyone and that there is much improvement to be made with recognising and treating a mental health patient whilst keeping the population aware of the dangers the issue can present with. The cartoon uses the image of a doctor detailing his psychological problems so that the message can be brought across that no one is immune to mental health disorders, even mental health carers themselves. For me personally, the cartoon makes me realise that there is far too many people worldwide battling through a mental health disorder without adequate treatment, and that it is concerning to think that it can happen to anyone no matter how ideal their life may seem.

As a result of this assessment piece I feel more aware of how large an issue mental health is in Australia. After conducting an extensive amount of research on the topic I have come to the conclusion that mental health is so especially troubling because it is so largely affected by social and cultural factors such as stigma and discrimination. I believe that awareness of this issue must be continued, however I feel that in order to see significant improvements in Australia’s mental health system there needs to be more work put towards managing this stigma which has been around for many years. Hopefully then we may eventually begin to see some substantial progress in helping Australians live longer, and most importantly, happier lives.


 * __References:__**

Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2007). //National Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing: Summary of Results, 2007.// Retrieved from []

Australian Government. (2011). //Budget 2011-12: Delivering better hospitals, mental health and health services//. Retrieved from http://budget.australia.gov.au/2011-12/content/download/glossy_health.pdf

Botha, U.A., Koen, L., Joska, J.A., Parker, J.S, Horn, N., Hering, L.M. & Oosthuizen, P.P. (2009). The revolving door phenomenon in psychiatry: comparing low-frequency and high-frequency users of psychiatric inpatient services in a developing country. //Soc Psychiat Epidemiol//, //45//, 461–468. Doi: 10.1007/s00127-009-0085-6

Brouilette, C. (2006). Dispelling the Stigma of Mental Health Disorders. //Canadian Healthcare Manager, 13// (3), 1-2. Retrieved from []

Burgess, P.M., Pirkis, J.E., Slade, T.N., Johnston, A.K., Meadows, G.N. & Gunn, J.M. (2009). Service use for mental health problems: findings from the 2007 National Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing. //Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, 43// (7), 615-623. Doi: 10.1080/00048670902970858

Clifford, K. (2010). The thin blue line of mental health in Australia. //Police Practice and Research, 11 (//4), 355-370. doi: 10.1080/15614263.2010.496561

Goldney, R. (2003). Deinstitutionalization and suicide. //Crisis: The Journal of Crisis Intervention and Suicide Prevention//, //24//(1), 39-40. Doi: 10.1027//0227-5910.24.1.39//

//Hamdan, A. (2009). Mental Health Needs of Arab Women.// Health Care for Women International, 30 //(7), 593-611. Doi: 10.1080/07399330902928808//

//Howland, R. (2007). Medication adherence.// Journal of psychosocial nursing and mental health services, 45 // (9) , 15. Retrieved from []//

//Kiraly, B., Gunning, K., Leiser, J. (2008). Primary Care Issues in Patients with Mental Illness.// American Family Physician, 78 //(3). Retrieved from []//

//Lyons, C. (2009). A decade of stigma and discrimination in mental health: plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose (the more things change, the more they stay the same). //Journal of psychiatric and mental health nursing, 16 // (6) , 501. Doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2850.2009.01390.x//

// McPhee, J. ( 2002). Happiness. //Harper's bazaar //, (3485), 82. Retrieved from [|http://web.ebscohost.com.ezp01.library.qut.edu.au/ehost/detail?vid=2&hid=127&sid=7c041e9a-5c60-4b83-849e-b84053c8cb98%40sessionmgr111&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=ulh&AN=6363666] //

//Merrick, P.L., Dattilio, F.M. (2006). The Contemporary Appeal of Cognitive Beahviour Therapy.// New Zealand Journal of Psychology, 35 //(3), 117-119. Retrieved from []//

//Pinfold, V. (2004). Anti-discrimination actions in mental health. //Journal of psychiatric and mental health nursing, 11 // (3) , 250. Retrieved from [|http://web.ebscohost.com.ezp01.library.qut.edu.au/ehost/detail?sid=206f2394-d21d-4df1-8288-4c08899ac5a8%40sessionmgr110&vid=1&hid=127&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=c8h&AN=2004186692]


 * __ Reflections: __**

__ Suicide, Depression and Society __ "Suicide, Depression and Society" is a well written piece which accurately details the issues surrounding mental health in Australia 2011. The wiki points out some important concerns, particularly with relation to the stigma in society which has come to be associated with mental illness. I also liked how it was enforced how important research and awareness is in order to progress towards any improvements in mental health. An aspect of the wiki I found to be quite eye-opening was the fact that suicides are so often committed despite victims having not been diagnosed with depression or other common mental illnesses. Overall, I believe that "Suicide, Depression and Society" is an informative piece which should be viewed in order to gain an accurate understanding of the issue of mental health in our nation today.

__ Mental Health in Australia, Screaming for help! __ I found this wiki to be yet another excellent example of a written piece which effectively details the concerns surrounding mental health in Australia. I was particularly impressed with the large amount of statistics describing how many people are affected by a mental health disorder in the modern world. I found this part of the article to be most eye opening as I didn't actually realised so many people have been negatively affected by a mental illness. The social and cultural analysis of this wiki was also very informative, as it made me realise how certain factors are continually contributing to the poor state of people's mental health. Overall, a very interesting piece which has made me more aware of this problematic issue in our nation today.