Australia's mental health

by Dr Norman Swan

A national health survey has found a significant number of Australians have mental health issues.

24 08 2009

The psychological wellbeing of Australians has become a lot clearer thanks to the second national mental health survey. The Australian Bureau of Statistics doorknocked thousands of households asking questions about common mental health problems.
They found that one in two of us will have anxiety, depression, or a problem with drug and alcohol abuse in our lifetimes. About one in five people surveyed had had a mental disorder in the last 12 months; and one in four of those had had more than one – losing about nine days of useful functioning every month.
Yet surprisingly few people were being treated. Largely because they felt they didn't need any help or, wrongly, they felt there was no help available. This included people who were suicidal.
It was also found that people with physical illnesses were more likely to have anxiety, depression or problems abusing alcohol and other drugs.
Since this survey was done the Government has provided more access to evidence-based psychological treatments so more people are receiving help. But these deep-seated beliefs that nothing that can be done are a problem, as is the stigma which still exists to people identifying themselves as psychologically unwell.
So it's important that doctors, friends and families recognise when someone has a mental illness and offer assistance, but it's also important to recognize that there may be more than one thing going on at the same time, a physical illness with anxiety and depression, or a drug and alcohol problem with illness with anxiety and depression and they all need to be treated so the person can become well again.

For Reference

Title: Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry
Author: Henderson S et al. State of the nation's mental health 2007.
URL: http://www.informahealthcare.com/loi/anp
2009;43:591-593
Title: Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry
Author: Johnston AK et al. Suicidal thoughts and behaviours among Australian adults: findings from the 2007 National Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing.
URL: http://www.informahealthcare.com/loi/anp
2009;43:635-643
Title: Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry
Author: Whiteford H, Groves A Policy implications of the 2007 Australian National survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing.
URL: http://www.informahealthcare.com/loi/anp
2009;43:644-651
Title: Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry
Author: Teesson M et al. Comorbidity in Australia: findings of the 2007 National Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing.
URL: http://www.informahealthcare.com/loi/anp
2009;43:606-614
Title: Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry
Author: Meadows Gn, Burgess PM Perceived need for mental health care: findings from the 2007 Australian Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing.
URL: http://www.informahealthcare.com/loi/anp
2009;43:624-634
Title: Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry
Author: Burgess PM et al. Service use for mental health problems: findings from the 2007 National Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing.
URL: http://www.informahealthcare.com/loi/anp
2009;43:615-623
Title: Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry
Author: Slade T et al. 2007 National Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing: methods and key findings.
URL: http://www.informahealthcare.com/loi/anp
2009;43:594-605