‘Wake up call’ for governments in confronting mental health report

A landmark report says some are taking their own lives after trying and failing to find help in our mental system.

A landmark study, described as a “wake-up call” for federal and state governments, has found four out every 10 Australians were unable to access mental health services when they needed them.

Half of those who couldn’t get help, or had stopped trying to, reported deteriorating into crisis as a result, with some taking their own lives, according to the report released today.

The “Missing Middle” study, by the peak body for mental health service consumers and carers, Lived Experience Australia, also found half of those who did receive help via emergency departments were discharged without follow-up or referral.

Janne McMahon, the South Australian founder and executive director of Lived Experience Australia, said the first-of-its-kind national report revealed far too many people were slipping through the cracks across every state and territory.

Janne McMahon, founder and Executive Officer of Lived Experience Australia.

“This was because services were not available or were no longer affordable, no longer accessible or they didn’t receive the support they needed,” she said.

Ms McMahon said the situation led to more mental health crises, increased isolation for sufferers and placed added pressure on families and carers.

The report surveyed 535 mental health service consumers, and their families and carers, during October and November last year. It found:

48 PER CENT of respondents in crisis were discharged from emergency departments with no follow up or referral.

41 PER CENT of consumers and 47 per cent of carers said they couldn’t access mental health services when they needed them.

MORE THAN 50 per cent of respondents said when they, or their loved one, disengaged from services they deteriorated into crisis, with some having suicidal thoughts, attempting suicide, or taking their own life.

Ms McMahon said that while the Federal Government had made significant increases in funding for mental health services, those provided by the states and territories needed similar investment.

Renowned researcher in clinical psychiatry Professor Ian Hickie said the findings were a “wake-up call” for governments.

“No Australian should be left without proper mental healthcare,” said Prof Hickie, co-director of health and policy at the University of Sydney’s Brain and Mind Centre.

Professor Ian Hickie from The Brain and Mind Institute. Picture: Richard Dobson

He said governments needed to urgently redress a “dysfunctional” and “fundamentally flawed” mental health system, which had been deteriorating over the past five years and was struggling to cope under COVID-19’s added pressure.

“Politicians must take note of the lived experiences of this significantly large group of people whose needs are not being met,” Prof Hickie said.

SA Health Minister Stephen Wade said the State Government had boosted funding for mental health by almost $20m since the 2018 election, spending 10 per cent more on services than the national average.

A federal Health Department spokesman said mental health and suicide prevention remained a high priority for the Morrison Government, which had invested a record $5.9bn in 2020-21.

He said the government was developing a new National Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Agreement with states and territories, to be delivered by November this year, and was funding eight Urgent Mental Health Care Centres. The first centre opened in Adelaide this month.

For assistance contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636 24.

Janne McMahon, founder and executive director of Lived Experience Australia with James Mulholland. Picture: Matt Turner

‘Broken by a broken system’

It was around 8pm in the midst of the pandemic last year when James Mulholland was rushed to hospital after his long battle with depression and anxiety became too overwhelming.

The 26-year-old had tried to take his own life. His family called triple-0 for help, but that same help wasn’t there when Mr Mulholland needed it.

He was taken to the Lyell McEwin Hospital, where he waited, sedated in a hospital bed for 11 hours – the mental health specialists were not available until the next day, he says.

“I was severely suicidal and I needed to see someone then and there,” Mr Mulholland says.

When he was finally attended to, he says he was sent home without referral or a follow-up.

Mr Mulholland says at home “I attempted again” and was taken back to the emergency department.

He says it’s not the first time he’s been “broken by a broken system”.

“I’ve had to wait quite a while a number of times in hospital,” he said.

“I think they (the State Government) need to sit down and redesign the whole mental health system.

“People are going home and hurting themselves. They feel as though they are not being heard, not being helped. It’s so flawed.

“If it wasn’t for my family and me pushing through, I would be one of those statistics.”

SA’s top psychiatrists last week warned “something bad is going to happen” because the state’s mental health system is ready to collapse.

A spokeswoman for the Northern Adelaide Local Health Network said the Lyell McEwin Hospital has mental health clinicians available 24/7 in the ED and “aimed to provide the best possible health care to every patient in a timely manner”.

She said NAHLN could not comment on specific cases.