The National Mental Health Policy: Implications for Public Psychiatric Services in Australia

Abstract

The Health Ministers of all Australian States, Territories and the Commonwealth endorsed a National Mental Health Policy in April 1992. This Policy is intended to set a clear direction for the future development of mental health services within Australia. The Policy recognises the high prevalence of mental health problems and mental disorders in the Australian community and the impact of these on consumers, carers, families and society as a whole. It also clearly accepts the need to address the problems confronting the promotion of mental health and the provision of mental health services.

Australia's National Mental Health Strategy

“…The mainstreaming of acute beds into general hospitals was to bring mental health care into the same environment as general health care, thereby improving service quality and reducing the stigma associated with psychiatric care (Whiteford et al , 1993). At the commencement of the Strategy, 55% of acute psychiatric beds were located in speciality mental health units in general hospitals.…”

System-level intersectoral linkages between the mental health and non-clinical support sectors: a qualitative systematic review

“…The first National Mental Health Policy and plan required: the mainstreaming of mental health services to bring them under the same administrative umbrella as other health services; (Singh, 1992;Whiteford et al, 1993) the integration of hospital (inpatient) mental health services with community mental health services (Whiteford et al, 1993); and intersectoral linkages requiring access to housing and community services (mostly operated outside of health departments) for individuals with mental illness and failures for these individuals were not just in the health system but also in the disability support and housing sectors. This was essentially a return to the concerns raised in the intersectoral reform plank of the first plan (Whiteford, 1994).…”

Psychiatric and substance abuse disorder diagnoses as predictors of length of hospital stay

“…Mental health and substance abuse care involves a complex mixture of inpatient and ambulatory services. Furthermore, those services are currently being reconfigured in accordance with Australia's national mental health policy (Whiteford 1993;Whiteford, MacLeod & Leitch 1993). Further research will be necessary to generate a classification and funding system that does justice to the complexity of mental health and substance abuse care in hospital and in the community.…”