National Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Plan: A Policy for Better Health Services

This report focuses on the National Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Plan policy designed by the Australian government to deliver better health services to people suffering from mental illness. It covers the purpose, determinants of health, health issues, literature review, implementation, and health promotion. The policy aims to provide unique solutions to every individual suffering from mental illness and deliver integrated services to prevent suicidal crimes and mental issues.

Public health policy and society

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Table of Contents
Introduction...........................................................................................................................................1
National Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Plan............................................................................1
Purpose..............................................................................................................................................1
Determinants of Health..........................................................................................................................2
Health issue.......................................................................................................................................3
Literature review...................................................................................................................................3
Implementation......................................................................................................................................5
Health promotion...................................................................................................................................7
Conclusion.............................................................................................................................................9
References...........................................................................................................................................10

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Introduction
In this report focus is made on the policy related to mental health and suicide
prevention. National Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Plan policy is designed by
Australian government to deliver better health services to people suffering from mental
illness. This policy was released on 14 October 2017 and the plans are revised on regular
basis (Minister for health, 2018). Various policies are designed but in this report we will be
discussing about Mental Health and Suicide prevention policy. The purpose of these policies
is to improve the conditions of people in the community. This could be achieved by properly
promoting these services. Government has launched these policies to improve the political as
well as economic conditions. The purpose of this policy states that it is necessary to make
positive health changes for achieving better conditions.
Lifestyle has changed these days and people are suffering more from mental illness
and committing suicide. Thus these policies help in creating awareness among them by
showing them the way that needs to be adopted to improve mental issues. In this report issue
of mental illness and suicide is discussed and importance of policy is discussed for
betterment.
National Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Plan
Purpose
Government has developed this policy to provide unique solution to every individual
suffering from mental illness. The motive of this plan is to deliver integrated services to
prevent suicidal crimes and mental issue (Wahlbeck, 2015). It is mentioned in the policy that
to reduce mental issues physical health should be highlighted as it reduces mental stress.

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Policy covers plan to recover the performance, by delivering people with effective and
efficient services (Sofka, Grey, Lerfald, Davisson & Howsare, 2018).
In Australia it was researched that many people are suffering from mental illness and
it affects the economic significance of the country (Wasserman, et. al, 2015). Various
strategies are deployed for improving the health status and removing the health issues. The
major issue rises because of improper planning and coordination and also due to lack of
optimal solution available beforehand. Therefore, in order to remove the social burden and
mental illness, policies are designed. National Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Plan
support the people suffering from mental health by promoting responsibilities. There are
many people who are not able to access the prevention methods thus these plans are designed
to offer benefits to control the disabilities due to mental health.
Various issues are outlined regarding the mental illness and suicidal crimes. These policies
emphasis on improving the conditions of mental health, this is done by removing the issues
(Schmidt, Iachini, George, Koller & Weist, 2015). National Mental health and suicidal
prevention plan figure out the reasons and complexities due to which mental illness occur so
that proper plans are designed accordingly. It analysis the reasons due to which people suffer
from mental stress.
Determinants of Health
National Mental health and suicidal prevention plan resolve all the social
determinants that affect an individual. This policy resolves all the issues related to mental
illness as when a person is suffering from mental stress the individual do not behave in a
normal way. There are certain social factors that causes depression in one’s life especially
inequalities and discrimination (Henderson, Van Hasselt, LeDuc & Couwels, 2016). This

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policy promotes the mental issue by taking appropriate actions to remove the stress. This
policy also compacts with suicidal issues which are commonly found in youngsters.
Depressions, family stress, lack of education or poor social connections are the reasons for
suicide thus this policy resolves all the issues an make sure that individual do not try to make
future suicidal attempts (Zalsman, et. al, 2016).
The policy showcases some elements used for prevention (Allen, Balfour, Bell & Marmot,
2014):
i. It assures that proper care is delivered in every area.
ii. Networks are established among all areas to resolve the mental issues by designing
proper control methodology.
iii. Once the plans are finalised they promote it among individuals by using proper digital
technologies so that proper actions are undertaken.
Health issue
National Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Plan addresses the health issues associated
with mental illness. It needs to be treated critically as it is very dangerous as compared to
physical illness. Suicide crime is a self-injury that is caused under severs circumstances. This
plan keep track on behaviour of an individual who commits suicide so that no future
problems occur. Negativity among an individual and depression are the main reasons of
mental illness (Perera, Rogers, Edwards, Hudman & Malone, 2017). This policy resolves
this issue by promoting the ideas of healthy life and providing them reasons to live. It deals
with making strong social connections that helps in brining positivity among an individual.
Thus this can be achieved by launching educational programs among teenagers. These
educational programs provide guidelines to youngsters for developing healthy skills. These
programs are mostly delivered in schools and universities as these issues are mostly found

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among youngsters. National Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Plan deliver care and
services to wider population and promoting innovative activities to provide better services
(Brydsten, Hammarström, & San Sebastian, 2017). It mainly focuses on removing the
inequalities from the community as it leads to depression among individual.
Literature review
In the views of (Fisher, Acton & Rowe, 2018), to resolve the health issues among individual
National Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Plan need to be undertaken. It provides the
solution to all the environmental flaws. To avoid the shortcomings and disabilities from the
society promotion of mental health is done for faster recovery. This plans associates the
social issues with the government conditions to improve the illness.
According to (Baglivio, Wolff, Piquero, DeLisi & Vaughn, 2017), the main reason of
mental illness is poor educational facilities, low empowerment, isolation from the
community. This policy empowers the community by taking proper actions for improving the
health. It covers methods for treatment of complex issues by delivering best facilities for
mental health prevention. It also supports the patient by providing economic related funds.
This policy maintains the safety of an individual by tracking the progress. So, that better
prevention plans are designed in an integrated manner to resolve the mental illness.
In the perception of (Petersen, et. al, 2017), it can be stated from research that prevention
policies has helped in reducing the suicidal rates. World health organisation has identified
various risks which have been reduced by National Mental Health and Suicide Prevention
Plan. This policy states all the harmful impacts of the problem related to mental illness. This
plan access the risks associated with suicidal trauma.

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According to (Guo, Tomson, Söderqvist & Keller, 2017), National mental health and
prevention plan helps in bringing an individual to normal states whenever suffering from
mental disorder or have symptoms of suicide. This policy has various plans designed to
overcome from all the negative issues by removing the chances of mental illness. This is
achieved by focusing on building positive attitude in every individual. It has designed formal
as well as informal system to improve the health conditions. It supports every individual for
bouncing back to normal condition by removing the situation that can lead to depression. It
focuses on knowing the knowing the mental state of an individual os that plan should be
designed accordingly. It was also stated that depression and stress occurs in an individual due
to lack of social connection. Hence, this policy builds some ways to build strong social
connections among individual.
In the views of (Bell & Williams, 2016), to improve the health conditions from the
surrounding health promotion is needed. Just dealing with the patient who is suffering from
mental disorder is not sufficient. Proper actions need to be taken to reduce the health
inequities and take proper social arrangements to empower people by providing them with
knowledge. Health promotion lowers the overall cost of mental illness by attaining new
public health criteria. The society covers prevention actions for every issue to make sure that
determinates are resolved from the society. Various steps are designed for every issue that
can be adopted easily. Mental illness cannot be taken in an easy manner as it affects the
overall productivity of the country. Thus promotion programs are used to improve the social
as well as economic relation between an individual.

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Implementation
Implementation of National Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Plan has various actions:
 First of all a group is made that represent the target audience who is suffering from
mental illness so that they can report their issues easily (Brownson, Colditz &
Proctor, 2017).
 Then a common wealth community is made to design the prevention plans.
 Among all the issues a priority area is identified and plan is made accordingly. It
keeps track of all the issues addressed by target audience.
 Once the strategies are designed it promotes the services among larger audience to
make them aware about the risk associated (Brownson, Colditz & Proctor, 2017).
 The report is submitted regularly to the health commission so that they analyse the
progress and establish new plans.
Glance of this policy also covers vulnerable children’s so that benefits re provided to
them for better lifestyle. Issues are promoted for long term illness by determine the root
causes of mental health. This policy attain better mental health by improving the
sufferings of an individual this can be done by reducing social and community conflicts.
The policy states the reason by which a person suffers from mental illness that is
depression, feeling of separation or stress due to variety of reasons. Therefore it is
necessary to promote positive experiences among individual and making care centres
available for them (Phfi, 2018). Implementation of this strategy is done in a way that
health facilities could be provided at home to every individual. As it is not flexible to
access the services by going to hospitals thus for proving long term prevention health
strategies need to be followed at home also. So that services are made available in the
nearby areas to everyone. Thus it can be stated that providing services closer to home
helps in improving the performance. This implementation plan makes sure that everyone

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in the community as clear access to the policies and responsibilities are clearly defined. It
also allows an individual to freely suggest plans related to new innovative ideas. Thus
practising innovative ideas in the society increases the awareness among people. Thus
this plan focuses on improving the economic, political, spiritually or organizational
initiative related to health. Therefore, it requires a close co-operation with health- care
sector while implementing the plan as it reflects the diversity. Government also has
unique roles to ensure control on individual’s health.
Health promotion
Mental health issue is majorly seen among younger generation. Health promotion is a
best way to reach to these people by filling the gap between issues as well as disease
associated. Health promotion assures that actions are undertaken to resolve inequality,
discrimination and vulnerability from the society this can be achieved by empowering people.
People and communities are not aware about the policies and plans developed for their
betterment thus it is necessary to promote the services (Eldredge, Markham, Ruiter, Kok &
Parcel, 2016). Health promotion creates a supportive environment for strengthening the
personal skills that helps in reorienting health services. Government has published various
policies to improve health conditions by encouraging them to stay fit and healthy. The
traditional method that was used for promotion only focused on an individual but now a day’s
major emphasis is done on removing the determinant of society. Health literacy is acquired is
the society to remove the danger of depression among an individual (Hickey, Mellon,
Williams, Shelley & Conroy, 2018). National Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Plan
focus on improving the lifestyle and by removing the side effects.
Health promotion promotes all the factors associated with risk in the society, at family
level or from an individual perception. National Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Plan

National Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Plan 9
focuses on improving the working capital this can be done by knowing the suffering of every
individual in the society. For that alertness is created in the society by educating everyone
regarding the symptoms of depression and mental illness so that disease could be detected
and appropriate actions could be taken (Edelman, Mandle & Kudzma, 2017). This is useful as
it assures that illness will not penetrate throughout the lifespan. Mental disorder among
individual also arises due to malnutrition as it impacts health among old aged people. Health
promotion is useful as it helps in gaining worldwide acceptance as it increases the awareness
among people to control the health issues. Health promotion helps in developing better
personal skills as it influences wider range of audience by conducting educational programs.
These programs help in developing personal skills which in turn boost the self-esteem of an
individual. It also helps an individual by building a positive attitude that avoids mental
disorder. Health promotion creates a supportive environment among youth by telling more
about the health issues and making them aware about the consequences of health behaviour.
Thus health promotion makes sure that better health decisions are made by an individual.
Health promotion spread alertness among the target groups related to the policies designed.
These principals help in promotion that involves the population rather than focusing on risk
of a particular disease (Mind, 2018). It aims particularly to design an effective public
participation of an individual by developing problem and decision making skills.

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Conclusion
It can be concluded from this report that government of Australia has designed various
policies for improving the health status. In this report the National Mental Health and Suicide
Prevention Plan has been discussed which cover the reasons why do people commit suicide
and what are the ways to reduce the mental illness. It was researched that mental illness in an
individual can occur due to few reasons. Like stress, depression, negativity or lack of outdoor
activities that build negative attitude in an individual. Unique policies are designed to
overcome from these issues that focus on removing the discrimination from the society. Plans
are designed according to the issues. To overcome from all these issues it is important to
create awareness among people. Health promotion is a tool that helps in creating awareness
in the society by cultivating various steps to attain healthy environment. This could be
accomplished by structuring health educational programs in the public by teaching people
why it is essential to be fit and what are the negative impacts of the illness. In this report the
importance as well as implementation method is discussed.

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References
Allen, J., Balfour, R., Bell, R., & Marmot, M. (2014). Social determinants of mental
health. International Review of Psychiatry, 26(4), 392-407.
Baglivio, M. T., Wolff, K. T., Piquero, A. R., DeLisi, M., & Vaughn, M. G. (2017). Multiple
Pathways to Juvenile Recidivism: Examining Parental Drug and Mental Health
Problems, and Markers of Neuropsychological Deficits Among Serious Juvenile
Offenders. Criminal Justice and Behavior, 44(8), 1009-1029.
Bell, J., & Williams, K. (2016). Health promotion: Health promotion-an important role for
community pharmacies. Australian Pharmacist, 35(3), 48.
Brownson, R. C., Colditz, G. A., & Proctor, E. K. (Eds.). (2017). Dissemination and
implementation research in health: translating science to practice. Oxford University
Press.pp. 45-120.
Brydsten, A., Hammarström, A., & San Sebastian, M. (2017). Health inequalities between
employed and unemployed in northern Sweden: A decomposition analysis of social
determinants for mental health. 45(2), pp-80-145.
Edelman, C. L., Mandle, C. L., & Kudzma, E. C. (2017). Health Promotion Throughout the
Life Span-E-Book. Elsevier Health Sciences.
Eldredge, L. K. B., Markham, C. M., Ruiter, R. A., Kok, G., & Parcel, G. S. (2016). Planning
health promotion programs: an intervention mapping approach. John Wiley & Sons.

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Fisher, J., Acton, C., & Rowe, H. (2018). Mental Health Problems Among Childbearing
Women: Historical Perspectives and Social Determinants. In Motherhood in the Face
of Trauma (pp. 3-20). Springer, Cham.
Guo, C., Tomson, G., Söderqvist, F., & Keller, C. (2017). Adolescent mental health policies
in Sweden and China: a comparative studyCheng Guo. European Journal of Public
Health, 27(suppl_3).
Henderson, S. N., Van Hasselt, V. B., LeDuc, T. J., & Couwels, J. (2016). Firefighter suicide:
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psychology: research and practice, 47(3), 224-90.
Hickey, A., Mellon, L., Williams, D., Shelley, E., & Conroy, R. M. (2018). Does stroke
health promotion increase awareness of appropriate behavioural response?. European
Stroke Journal, 21(3).
Mind. (2018). Mental health problems. Retrieved from
https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/types-of-mental-health-problems/
mental-health-problems-introduction/#.WsqIYi5ubIU.
Minister for health. (2018). National Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Plan
released. Retrieved from
http://health.gov.au/internet/ministers/publishing.nsf/Content/05F8706E79A55F04CA
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%20Fifth%20National%20Mental%20Health%20and%20Suicide%20Prevention
%20Plan%20released.pdf.

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Perera, R. H., Rogers, S. L., Edwards, S., Hudman, P., & Malone, C. (2017). Determinants of
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Sofka, S., Grey, C., Lerfald, N., Davisson, L., & Howsare, J. (2018). Implementing a
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