Early checks needed to ease mental risks

The Productivity Commission has backed checks of children aged up to three as part of a strategy to fight a mental health crisis.

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The Productivity Commission has backed emotional welfare checks of children aged up to three and ­increasing early intervention for people suffering mental health ­issues in a plan to improve lives and slash the estimated $500m a day cost to the economy.

The PC, in a draft report to be published on Thursday, calls for broad policy changes across education, housing, the workplace and the justice system in addressing what it says is one of the nation’s most pressing challenges.

“Early identification of risks in children offers the greatest potential for improving health, social and economic outcomes,” the report says. “Young Australians with mental ill-health miss opportunities to develop the skills they need for long-term academic outcomes and post-school opportunities.”

Among its 25 recommendations, it proposes expanding current physical checks of children up to three-year-olds in community health services to incorporate ­social and emotional wellbeing.

It recommends teachers and early childhood educators have explicit training in social and emotional development and identifying kids at risk. Schools over a certain size should have a dedicated senior teacher responsible for mental health and wellbeing and tertiary institutions should have a clear mental health strategy.

 

“This would have ongoing positive effects on the quality of life and employment outcomes (of young people). Over time, employment among those affected is expected to increase from 43,000 to 58,000 adding from $4.3bn to $5.6bn annually,” the report says.

The commission notes the ­annual cost to the economy of suicide and suicide attempts is ­between $16bn and $34bn.

It calls for more rigorous follow-up and after-care services by GPs and hospitals for those who attempt suicide, given up to 25 per cent of people who attempt suicide will reattempt, with significant risks in the first three months after hospital discharge.

The report also highlights the two-way link between employment and mental health.

“Employment can improve mental health but some workplaces can have negative impacts on mental health,” it says, putting a $17bn annual cost on workplace absenteeism and presenteeism (in which staff are at work longer than required). It calls for the development of programs and strategies to “make psychological health and safety as important as physical health and safety” and to support small employers with codes of practice.

The commission recommends a greater emphasis on appropriate housing options for those living with ongoing mental illness.

The report notes a particular failure to care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, who are three times more likely to experience psychological distress and twice as likely to be admitted to hospital for mental illness than non-indigenous Australians.

It suggests “expanding the role of indigenous-controlled organisations in the planning and delivery of mental health services”.