A prominent not-for-profit is calling for Australia to radically improve mental health funding and planning on the back of stark new data revealing worsening problems with the care system.
An informal Black Dog Institute survey released today found less than a quarter of people who sought mental health care in the past 12 months reported receiving “timely and appropriate care”, and just 37 per cent said they eventually got what they needed.
The survey, which revealed people were sometimes waiting as much as a year for treatment due to cost, access to help and stigma, highlighted men,young people and those living in rural areas as those facing the biggest challenges.
This is not just a gap in care — it is a national crisis,” the institute wrote, in a report released today.
“These statistics form part of a grim trajectory; in Australia, we are now passing on worse mental health outcomes to future generations, far more so than any other serious illness.
“Our mental health system is failing people’s needs. But the ubiquity of this message often means the details get lost.”
9news
