Mental Health Stress

An article in today?s Financial Review by Annabel Stafford paints a bleak picture of health care for mentally ill and the frustrating experience of parents and carers. The lack of coordination of resources and iron curtain of privacy laws on carers seeking information on missing persons, was most recently highlighted in the case of Cornelia Rau. Mental illness accounts for 30% of Australia?s non-fatal disease burden. Depression is the fourth largest cause of disease burden. The number of Psychiatrists is 2,097 and has increased by only 120 since 1993.

The clinical staff in public hospitals reduced by 10.5% between 1993 and 2002 according to the 2004 National Mental Health Report. The report also highlights the state of psychiatric beds which have stayed static at around 3,700 since 1993. The under-resourcing dates back to the deinstitutionalisation of psychiatric care in the 1980?s when specialist psychiatric hospitals were closed and there was a move to community caring. This has left a gap in the system where there is nowhere to discharge patients to for longer term care. As new critical cases arrive at the public hospitals they are faced with unenviable decisions on who to discharge.

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