Push for extra mental health funds ahead of federal election

Experts are calling for funding to be poured into the strained mental health system, as new research reveals Australians are feeling more lonely and isolated.

Experts are calling for desperately needed funding to be pumped into the strained mental health system, ahead of Tuesday’s Budget and an imminent federal election campaign.

Australian Psychological Society chief executive Dr Zena Burgess said the government must improve access to affordable psychological services.

Former Australian of the Year, psychiatrist Patrick McGorry, said as the country headed into another election campaign, there was silence from political leaders on the public health crisis.

News Corp this week launched the Can We Talk? campaign, in partnership with Medibank, to help Australians talk about their mental health and drive more government support.

Prof McGorry, who is executive director of Orygen, said neither major party had so far put forward a serious mental health policy, let alone the kind of urgent reform needed to address the youth mental health crisis.

Professor Patrick McGorry AO, Executive Director, Orygen. Picture: Orygen

Orygen is part of a coalition of youth mental health organisations backing Mental Health Australia’s call for free mental health care for everyone under 25.

“Elections are about setting our priorities for the next government, and these priorities should reflect the needs and aspirations of our communities,” Mental Health Australia policy and advocacy director Emma Greeney said.

“Right now, it’s clear: 75 per cent of Australian voters believe the government should do more on mental health.

“We need to better align funding with levels of need.”

Medibank chief executive David Koczkar said the number of people with mental ill-health was growing everyday, which is why it needed to be an urgent national priority.

“Although a lot has been done, we would like to see all sides of politics move with a greater sense of urgency,” he said.

“We hope to see greater investment in mental health in Tuesday’s Budget and strong support for significant mental health reforms in the lead-up to the election from all sides of politics.

“For the one in five people and their families who are experiencing a mental health challenge right now we can’t afford to wait any longer.”

The calls come as a new study shows Australians are feeling more lonely and isolated.

Online dating and the overuse of social media, working from home, cost of living pressures, and the housing crisis are exacerbating the nation’s social connection problems.

But experts warn federal government investment is failing to address the root cause, saying strengthening people’s social bonds is key to tackling the “loneliness epidemic”.

The Foundation for Social Health commissioned the research, and chief executive Melanie Wilde said next week’s federal Budget was an opportunity to overhaul how mental health was funded.

“One in three feel lonely at least once a week – that’s nine million of our neighbours, colleagues, friends and family,” Ms Wilde said.

“This is undoubtedly one of the most significant public health issues of our time.

“Taxpayers spend $2.7bn every year trying to meet demand instead of addressing need in the first place.

“More GPs, psychologists, and psychiatrists are important, but cannot possibly solve the mental health crisis for nearly half of Australians on their own.”

Ms Wilde said the UK’s national lottery community fund, which funnels billions of dollars of gambling revenue into social connectivity initiatives such as investment in community centres, could provide a model for addressing funding constraints.

“We know that there are millions of Australians ready to volunteer and use their time to deliver community-led care right now in their communities and all we need to do is scale them up,” she said.

Young people in Australia are now the most lonely demographic, according to the report, with loneliness a leading factor of the youth mental health crisis.

Gen Z and millennial online dating app users surveyed revealed their app use was affecting their social connections.

Up to three in five people on Hinge, Bumble and Grindr reported the apps increased their feelings of loneliness.

They also reported negative experiences including “identity theft, creepy men and catfishing”.

Kos Samaras. Picture NCA NewsWire / Aaron Francis

Kos Samaras, director of Redbridge Group which conducted some of the report’s polling, said mental health was deeply interconnected with nearly every major issue of concern for Australians including climate change.

“It represents a critical policy area for immense potential for positive impact – yet politicians often overlook it, treating it as a hidden epidemic rather than a priority,” Mr Samaras said.

Can We Talk? is a News Corp awareness campaign, in partnership with Medibank, helping Australian families better tackle mental wellbeing. To follow the series and access all stories, tips and advice, visit our new Health section.

Originally published as Push for extra mental health funds ahead of federal election