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National mental health reform: less talk, more action
Author(s) -
Rosenberg Sebastian,
Hickie Ian B,
Mendoza John
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
medical journal of australia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.904
H-Index - 131
eISSN - 1326-5377
pISSN - 0025-729X
DOI - 10.5694/j.1326-5377.2009.tb02346.x
Subject(s) - mental health , government (linguistics) , action (physics) , public relations , public administration , political science , health care , key (lock) , economic growth , business , medicine , nursing , psychiatry , economics , linguistics , philosophy , physics , quantum mechanics , biology , ecology
The Council of Australian Governments revitalised national mental health reform in 2006. Unfortunately, evidence‐based models of collaborative care have not yet been supported. Previous attempts at national reform have lacked a strategic vision. We continue to rely on arrangements that are fragmented between different levels of government, poorly resourced community services, and an embattled public hospital sector. Our persisting unwillingness to record or publicly report key measures of health, social or economic outcomes undermines community confidence in the mental health system. Six priority areas for urgent national action are proposed and linked to key measures of improved health system performance. In Australia, we recognise special groups (such as war veterans) and organise and fund services to meet their specific health needs. Such systems could be readily adapted to meet the needs of people with psychosis.