My 10-point plan to fix the mental health system
A former chair of Mental Health Australia, who quit this year in frustration at the lack of progress in addressing need, offers a blueprint for reform.
Mental Health
Mental health system is ‘fundamentally broken’
One of the nation’s most prominent psychiatrists says those with the most severe conditions are critically neglected and marginalised, as the AMA calls for systemic reform.
Our neglect is truly our national shame
The neglect of all of those living with severe mental illness boils down to a single driving factor. We think it is indifference.
The clearing out of asylums was meant to provide hope. Instead it spawned an underclass
The severely mentally ill were promised a better future after asylums were mothballed. The promises were hollow.
Deadly neglect of mentally ill a national shame
Matt Berriman, who suffers from bipolar disorder, says Australia’s mental health system almost cost him his life when he was admitted four years ago. Now he wants to see change.
We should copy UK puberty-blocker ban: state Lib leader
WA Liberal leader Libby Mettam the only political leader in Australia with a policy to ban the use of puberty blockers, which have now been barred by the UK Labour government.
New AI controls to hit after mum blames teen’s suicide on chatbot
One of Silicon Valley’s most promising AI startups has announced new safety measures to protect teen users, as lawsuits alleging its chatbots contributed to youth suicide and self-harm mount up.
UK puberty blocker ban rejected here
Australia remains unlikely to follow the UK’s indefinite ban of puberty blockers for people aged under 18, after the government there formalised emergency measures introduced in March.
UK ban on puberty blockers is not a culture war
The UK decision to ban puberty blockers for children indefinitely is yet another warning for Australian legislators and officials.
Puberty blocker ban in UK extended
UK health secretary says it was ‘a scandal’ puberty blockers were given to vulnerable young children without proof of safety or effectiveness.
I joined the 5am club so you don’t have to
Waking up at 5am is popular among celebs like Mark Wahlberg, Michelle Obama and Jennifer Lopez. But for this writer, the trend had mixed results.
‘Nowhere to go’: supported housing could ease the burden of mental illness
Investments in housing for those with severe mental illness would reap enormous gains and savings for the nation.
Shocking plight of mentally ill ‘a stain on nation’
Health Minister Mark Butler describes the atrocious health outcomes, social exclusion and widespread homelessness as ‘a shocking reflection on our community’. The situation is revealed in a report by The Australian and Australian National University.
The scandalous neglect of our mentally ill living in remote areas
Indigenous people in remote communities suffer some of the most complex mental health problems yet have an almost complete lack of access to psychiatric and psychology services.
Safe Haven: the foundation giving hope to Aussies with psychosocial disabilities
The Haven model has proved not only life-changing for residents with complex mental health conditions, it also results in efficiencies for the NDIS and the health system as a whole.
Home truths: jails overflow as mentally ill live on the streets
Since the closure of mental asylums, the ranks of prisoners and the homeless have swelled with the severely mentally ill.
Shocking life expectancy gap has not shifted in a century
The huge gap in life expectancy between those with severe mental illness and the rest of the population is growing in Australia, with no improvement in sight.
The reality of living with schizophrenia in Australia
People with schizophrenia experience disability and disadvantage that limits their ability to live a fulfilling life. This is how it often ends.
‘As a father I’m heartbroken, as a taxpayer I’m appalled’
Patrick Leunig went to a top private school and was set to study law. Then his life spiralled downwards. His grief-stricken father tells of how our system failed his son.
It’s the leading cause of death for Australian women. So how can you delay its onset?
It’s one of the biggest killers of Australians. But new research suggests the number of cases can potentially be halved. And that’s not the only news.
Freedom fight: Locked up and invisible in the heart of Australia
A young Aboriginal man’s escape from hell charts a community win for one of the many cognitively impaired and mentally troubled First Nations offenders who languish in our prison system.
‘My nightmare of trauma and terror’
I am a 29-year-old woman living with treatment-resistant schizophrenia. I spent most of my younger years in and out of the public mental health system. This is my story.
‘The mental health ward became my prison cell’: a patient’s plea for change
Billie spent more than 1000 days in hospital before she turned 18. Damaged but determined, she is now speaking out for mental health reform.
Australia has a chance to fix its mental health system. Will we take it?
Australia’s broken mental health system has failed hundreds of thousands of people with severe illness with ineffective care – and that’s if they can access any at all. But one initiative may shift the dial.
Meditation caves and cryotherapy: how the wealthy stay healthy
The rich have more money than most to help stave off ageing. So what are they doing, mainstream and experimental, to stay in tip-top shape?
If you think your baby has signs of autism or ADHD, read this
Parents beware. Standard cognitive tests can’t pick up ADHD and autism in infancy, a new study finds, despite a proliferation of early diagnosis and support programs.
ADHD and autism overlap – so why has the NDIS favoured one over the other?
Your child’s ADHD may be just as debilitating as your neighbour’s kid’s autism. A new study finds both conditions are on the same neurodevelopmental continuum. So why have their supports been funded by NDIS and yours haven’t?
Decriminalisation is not the answer, Minns hints
The NSW Drug Summit has heard of Oregon’s failed decriminalisation experiment amid expert calls for decriminalisation in the state.
Are teens worried about social media bans? Let’s text them to find out
Should we be concerned about a cataclysmic long-term impact on the cognitive functioning of doomscrollers? Try tearing your kids away from the screen to ask what they think.
Middle-aged women exercise more than their daughters
New research from the UK shows middle-aged women prioritise their health after menopause. But they still lag men, the study shows.
Original URL: https://www.theaustralian.com.au/health/mental-health/page/4