A majority of Australians suffer from various mental health conditions. Recent researches have shown than quite a number of citizens diagnosed with mental related problems stands at 50% as at 2015 (Perkovic 78). The government is therefore tasked to offer vital mental treatment to protect the productivity of its people and improve the quality of life. Introduction of mental health system reforms have been spearheaded as a means to allow more people to access timely treatment unlike the past where inpatient system dominated the treatment corrido.
Government allocation on mental health care has tripled over the past decade. People expected increased government allocation would translate to more people getting quality health care. However, to date, only over 64,000 patients are receiving specialized treatment leaving many out of the treatment space (Gottret and Schieber 43). Spirited efforts to substitute inpatient treatment with community based care have suffered major setback, poking holes on government commitment to mental health care reforms.
Community based care continue to remain unpopular government initiative which was not well-thought of in terms of its ability to offer a long term care solution to those in the remote areas. Patients are forced to make several trips to psychiatrist despite government assurance that they will receive treatment right from their door steps something which continue to be a dream to many as it is far-fetched from the reality.
Just like the normal political promises that are given gigantic magnification in the public lens with microscopic delivery mechanism, mental health care reforms is not spared despite its sensitivity and direct relation with a country gross domestic product index. Several claims of have dominated the airwaves that middlemen are the major beneficiaries as far as health service delivery is concerned.
Pharmaceutical companies have been widely mentioned for ghost projects in the remote areas. They are reaping big from inflated tenders and deliveries which continue to give government a false impression that much is being done to improve citizens’ health while the reality is disheartening. It is so hypocritical that the Australian government can boast of being a world leader on mental care reforms based on annual budgetary allocation.
Procter el al (56) highlight that allocation and putting to right use are two separate things which should not be regarded as one thing altogether. They argue that a sound allocation should be followed with a proper execution strategy that will guarantee that every penny is spent wisely and benefits the needy citizens. The government failure to institute strong institutional reforms to complement its annual supplementary budget on healthcare should be blamed for the current state of event (Williams and Kerfoot 78) in the healthcare sector, especially, the mental healthcare program which should be rolled across the entire country.
Again, lack of political goodwill has derailed major mental healthcare reforms in the country. Various states and regions seem to be implementing totally different healthcare strategies as opposed to those echoed by the government. The discord clearly shows that indeed Australia’s dream to be acknowledged as a leader in mental reforms globally is far-fetched and will require multi-sectoral approach and political goodwill for it to make a noticeable but essential baby steps in taking control of its people’s health.
Evolution of Australia Mental Healthcare System
Today, noticeable changes are witnessed in this sector. The system aimed at serving more people using a community based approach to avoid overcrowding of inpatient clinics and hospitals. As much as the community based system approach is not serving as many patients as initially intended, it is making valuable in-roads in the healthcare sector which awaits a massive transformation.
Also, the government continue to invest on digital mental healthcare clinics to supplement the current services offered. The e-health platforms aims at providing timely care and is a cost-reduction strategy which is a win-win situation for both the citizens and the government (Scott 39). The specialized clinics is expected to further increase the number of those currently receiving specialized treatment from 690,000 to close to a million mark. That will be a milestone and the right leap into the future by the government (Perkovic 78).
The traditional perception of those suffering from mental related illnesses has changed overtime. MHSA report of 2012 outlines that mental illness is a societal illness. It brings along povery, akin to unemployment, reduced productivity and loneliness, depression, and worse of all, it causes stigma among the patients. The roll out of community based approach has helped change the people’s perception of these patients (Sorensen and Ledema 91). This has been viewed as the right move, in the right direction and at the right time.
Today, most Australian communities are cohesive and supportive of these vulnerable group that require much attention and love as a major treatment supplement (Slade 383). Besides the major financial injections by the government in the annual healthcare allocation, the government continue to conduct mental awareness campaign that is geared to equip the people with right information to eliminate social challenges that mental patients encounter. The campaigns are aimed at improving the social status of these patients and to give them the right support that will catalyze the treatment process.
Sustainability of the Current Mental healthcare System
Hall in her article titled “Australia in the Middle of Mental Health Crisis with Unnecessary death escalating “pitches the country in unsustainable mental healthcare reform. First, there is non-conformity in mental healthcare service delivery across the nation. Perkovic (23) points out that various sections of the country are implementing the reform Agenda differently thereby making it difficult to regulate the standards. Lack of political goodwill from other leaders is blamed for the current disparity in the implementation process.
Lack of supportive infrastructure in the rural parts of the country has subjected care givers to spend more time locating patients compared to administering treatment. More time is spent in travelling instead of offering healthcare services. Consequently the number of people reached is far much below expectation and it will take much time to reach a third of the current patient population.
The current healthcare system faces major financial setbacks. In Hall’s article, Professor McGorry highlights that out of $10 billion mental healthcare expenditure, half of this amount is annually channeled to welfare payment. Recurrent expenditure, therefore, compromises service delivery making the entire reforms untenable. Based on the current budgetary allocation, the government cannot afford to further raise healthcare allocation as this will certainly cripple other sectors funding which also plays crucial role in ensuring the reforms are fully implemented.
Creating a Sustainable Australia Mental Healthcare Reforms
Evidently, the current system cannot hold without a major overhaul of the government approach in taking healthcare services to citizens’ doorstep. Three major multi-sectoral changes must be effected to make the health reforms a going concern (Gottret and Schieber 43). One of the changes regards to need to invest heavily on infrastructure to boost service delivery. A good infrastructure will facilitate effective e-health clinic and also reduce the time health professionals will take to reach those in need of emergency care (Thornicroft 87). It will reduce costs and surplus funds channeled to actual health care provision.
Another key area is to change the current approach system to mental health care from treatment perspective to preventive as voiced out by McQuistion (407). There has been arising number of mental illness cases among the young people. Stress has been cited as a major cause of such mental disorganization among youth. Parents are believed to be able to play a bigger part in their children’s life to give them the best lifestyle and guidance that will not only keep them healthy but also productive.
Lastly, the government should initiate programs that will provide job opportunities. Statistics have shown that unemployed people contribute a big margin of the current mental cases diagnosed. According to Gruber and Newquist (137), dealing with causal effect if much cheaper and cost- effective as compared to dealing with the real challenge (Vrangbaek et al 117).
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