Mental health overhaul to focus on young people, social media

Assistant Minister to the PM for Mental Health and Suicide Prevention, David Coleman, said the government will look closely at the link between social media use and youth mental health.

Young people discharged from hospital after attempting suicide and those falling through the cracks in clinical care will be the priority in a long awaited overhaul of mental health in Australia.

In his first major interview since being appointed Assistant Minister to the Prime Minister for Mental Health and Suicide Prevention, David Coleman said the federal government will also look very closely at the link between social media use and youth mental health.

There were 3318 suicides in Australia in 2019, according to the ABS, the highest number since at least 2010.

And while NSW Health says suicide numbers across the state have dropped, the number of under-18 suicides and suicides in Greater Sydney remains stubbornly high.

“When people are discharged from hospital after they have made a suicide attempt they should always get quality follow-up care,” Mr Coleman said.

“That doesn’t always happen today and it should. That is one of the issues that I think we should be looking at.”

Assistant Minister to the Pm for Mental Health and Suicide Prevention David Coleman. Picture: AAP/James Gourley

Mr Coleman said the government will target the “missing middle” — helping people who have a condition that is more serious than can be addressed through one visit to a psychologist but is not so severe that it requires hospitalisation or very intense treatment.

“Those people at the moment are often in a confusing system where it is not clear where to go, it’s not clear who to talk to and fixing that gap is really important,” he said.

Mr Coleman’s role has been elevated in government, reporting directly to Prime Minister Scott Morrison.

National cabinet has asked for a mental health agreement between the Commonwealth and the states by November.

Mr Coleman has also hinted at another battle with social media companies — over their content’s impact on young people.

Claudia Neale suicided last year, aged 18.

Asked whether the government would consider tougher measures on social media companies this year, he said: “The link between social media and mental health issues is a real concern and it is certainly something that I am looking at very closely.”

NSW Health figures released this week revealed that there were 30 suicides of under 18s in 2020, one less than in 2019.

This is despite an overall drop in suspected suicides, from 943 to 896 during that period.

The number of suicides in Greater Sydney increased during this period from 466 to 471, compared to a significant drop in the rest of NSW from 458 to 412.

The Sunday Telegraph’s Can We Talk campaign last year revealed a cluster of nine suicides on Sydney‘s North Shore.

“It is tragic and I don’t think there is a person in Australia who is not touched by those tragedies,” Mr Coleman said of those deaths.

“And those sorts of tragedies are a big part of why I think this is such an important role because we need to improve the system so that it works better.”

Sydney University’s Brain and Mind Centre co-director Professor Ian Hickie said immediate follow-up care for those people who have attempted suicide and been discharged from hospital “must be a national and urgent priority”.

“We are seeing these people sent home to no care every day in NSW – and some have led directly to disastrous consequences,” he said of 15-25-year-olds.

Orygen Professor Pat McGorry said “right now we have a mental health shadow pandemic”.

“It is great that the government is focusing on immediate need to compliment a preventive focus on the causes of mental illness an suicide,” Prof McGorry said.

Originally published as Mental health overhaul to focus on young people, social media