$2.3bn for mental health and suicide prevention in federal budget

An advocate has told parliament of a shocking statistic and made an impassioned plea to support Aussies who find themselves in this heartbreaking situation.

Despite men accounting for three in four suicides in Australia, they are in the minority when it comes to accessing support services, a parliamentary committee has heard.

Christine Morgan, national suicide prevention adviser to the Prime Minister, has called on the government to roll up its sleeves to tackle the serious issue during a presentation in Canberra.

Her message comes as the federal government announced it was investing $2.3bn in mental health and suicide prevention in this week’s budget.

“Seventy-five per cent of those we lose to suicide are men,” Ms Morgan told the mental health and suicide prevention committee on Thursday.

“We really do need to start looking at our services and see why aren’t they being accessed by men.”

Ms Morgan said the high suicide rate among men was not biological, physiological or psychological.

“It is very much about how men will experience life stresses, and then the barriers to actually seeking help,” she said, adding men were the minority in after-care services.

National Mental Health Commission chief executive officer Christine Morgan said suicide ideation needed to be better understood. Picture: AAP Image/Mick Tsikas

People were often forced to choose between putting food on the table for their families or getting help, because services were only open during work hours, the committee heard.

Ms Morgan said there were at least four areas where Commonwealth levers could be pulled to help men struggling with their mental health.

“Our employment services, the family law court, our relationship services and aged care,” she said.

“There is a significantly increased risk of suicide for people when they come out of prison.

“That is something we could and should look at.”

The national suicide prevention adviser’s final report to government, released last month, recommended all jurisdictions commit to review and report on the accessibility of their funded services and programs for men.

Government mental health spokesman David Coleman with Treasurer Josh Frydenberg, who handed down the budget on Tuesday. Picture: Gary Ramage

Government mental health spokesman David Coleman said there were significant gaps in the system.

“We’re putting $159 million down so that Australians who are discharged from hospital after a suicide attempt get that follow-up care in the community,” Mr Coleman said.

“Today, only about half of the people in that situation get follow-up care.”

Black Dog Institute director Sam Harvey welcomed the funding but said he still had concerns about a lack of resources to prevent people from becoming mentally unwell in the first place.

“Even when you ask for help, it is hard to find a psychiatrist or a psychologist who doesn’t have a long waiting list who can treat you,” Mr Harvey told ABC.

University of Sydney lecturer Sebastian Rosenberg said about $1bn was required annually for several years to address the demand.

“This budget provides around half this, an improvement on recent more meagre years,” Dr Rosenberg said.