Why we do it

We believe there is room for improvement in the funding and provision of mental health services to vulnerable people in regional Australia. Why?

People in regional, rural or remote areas of Australia face more barriers to accessing healthcare, making it harder for them to maintain good mental health. Similarly, remoteness is a major risk factor contributing to suicide, with the likelihood of someone dying from suicide appearing to increase the further away from a city they live. These people also find vital support through regional, community-based mental health services.

But community-based services that deliver mental health advocacy services experience tremendous difficulty in attracting government funding for their activities, with many organisations competing for a ‘slice of the pie’. Governments of all political persuasions have been tasked with addressing the needs of the mental health sector but have been unable to make a significant impact at a community level. Consequently, these community services struggle to survive on contributions raised through ‘chook raffles’, ad hoc philanthropy, volunteers and so on.

A typical case in point is the mental health advocacy service, Barrier Breakers Inc. Based in Gippsland, Victoria and formed in 2006, this community-based service has provided much-needed help to thousands of people and their families but has only ever funded by government once, with a small grant of $100,000 over a three-year period. Ever since, Barrier Breakers – like many other community-based charities – has continued to struggle forward, relying instead upon the generosity of the public to survive.

Localised mental health advocacy plays an essential role in the health and wellbeing of communities throughout Australia. The groups responsible for this advocacy are constructed from the communities they serve, so they really know the regions in which they live. They also know the mental health, medical and other professionals in their areas and, often, the people for whom they advocate.

The numbers say it all…

• In Australia, one in every five people will suffer mental illness in any one year – that is the equivalent of around 20% of the population ^[1]
• 46% of Australians will experience a mental health episode in their lifetime ^[2]
• One in eight Australians is currently experiencing high or very high psychological distress, and this number is only increasing ^[3]
• 54% of people with mental illness do not access any treatment ^[4]
• Suicide rates are almost 80% higher in regional and remotes areas when compared with cities ^[5]
• Around 37% of all homeless people have a mental illness ^[6]
• More than 58% of such homeless people are likely to be incarcerated in prison at some stage of their lives ^[7]
• 39% of all prisoners incarcerated or being released from prison have a previous diagnosis of a mental health condition ^[8]
• It costs around $110,000 per year to keep a person incarcerated in prison ^[9]
• It costs about $1,200 per day to hospitalise a patient in a psychiatric ward in Australia ^[10]

None of us can underestimate the importance of community mental health and advocacy services in regional Australia. With these services, everyone – mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, children, and grandparents – will have a much greater chance of improving their own lives and the outflowing positive effect that this has on the lives of those around them.

That’s why we do what we do.