Coronavirus: Scott Morrison puts mental health at top of medical agenda

Scott Morrison will appoint the country’s first deputy chief ­medical officer for mental health to steer a new pandemic plan.

Health Minister Greg Hunt will on Wednesday deliver a statement on mental health in response to the crisis. Picture: AAP

Scott Morrison will appoint the country’s first deputy chief ­medical officer for mental health to steer a new pandemic plan for a feared second wave of the COVID-19 crisis.

The Australian can reveal the role — to be discussed by national cabinet on Friday — will sit alongside the Chief Medical ­Officer, Brendan Murphy, who has been leading the country’s response to the pandemic and has recommended mental health be elevated to a tier one issue.

Health Minister Greg Hunt will on Wednesday deliver a statement on mental health in response to the crisis, following research from the country’s leading health experts suggesting financial distress and social isolation could lead to more deaths than the virus.

It is understood that Professor Murphy and Mental Health Commissioner Christine Morgan had been instrumental in pushing for a mental health role to sit alongside the medical health response to COVID-19, with economic modelling forecasting that suicides could outstrip direct deaths from the coronavirus by 10 times.

“A priority on the road out of the pandemic is supporting the mental health and wellbeing of all Australians,” Mr Hunt will say.

“Supporting the mental health of Australians is a deep personal passion of mine and a priority of this government.”

The Australian can confirm that former chief psychiatrist with the Health Department, Ruth Vine, has been appointed to the role and will steer a major mental health ­response to a crisis that threatens a 50 per cent increase in suicide directly related to the economic shutdown and the associated distress.

Mr Hunt also confirmed that a major pandemic plan for mental health would be taken to national cabinet on Friday, with state and territory health ministers expected to agree to a new model to deliver mental health crisis plans across the country.

“The mental health impacts of COVID-19, and the ongoing impact of other major events such as the bushfires and drought, will be significant and take many months to resolve,” Mr Hunt said. “Just as the government is modelling the spread of COVID-19 ­infection to continue flattening the curve, we are also closely monitoring mental health service usage so we can respond quickly and lessen the mental health impacts of the pandemic and the recovery phase.

“A National Mental Health Pandemic Response Plan will be discussed with states and territories through the national cabinet. The plan has been prepared with the support of the ­National Mental Health Commission.”

The appointment of a deputy CMO for mental health follows lobbying from the country’s leading experts, former Australian of the year and head of Orygen youth mental health services Pat McGorry and head of Sydney’s Brain and Mind Centre Ian Hickie, who have been pushing the government to ­elevate the issue to a top priority. They have argued that reform of the system was required if the mental health crisis was to be arrested.

Modelling by the centre has ­revealed that in one region alone in northern NSW, up to 53 suicide deaths, 669 suicide attempts, and 4516 Emergency Department presentations over five years could be prevented with effective mental health responses to the impacts of COVID-19.