Mental Healthcare Delivery in Australia

This essay discusses mental healthcare delivery in Australia, focusing on types of healthcare delivery in depression, social determinants of health, and the importance of cultural safety and patient-centered care. It also explores the role of nurses in providing care for individuals with mental health disorders.

Running Head: NURSING
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Nursing
4/1/2019

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Contents
1. Introduction...................................................................................................................................2
2. Mental healthcare delivery................................................................................................................2
2.1 Types of Health-care delivery......................................................................................................2
2.2 Types of healthcare delivery in Depression and their underpinning values.................................3
2.3. Social determinants of Health: Poverty (depression)..................................................................4
2.4 Cultural Safety and Patient centred care approach: Apply Codes and Standards.........................5
3. Conclusion.........................................................................................................................................7
References.............................................................................................................................................7

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1. Introduction
The essay brings about the discussion on the analysis of the patients or individuals
affected by the mental health problems or issues amongst a popular age group in context to
Australia. It has been analysed that there are more than 200 classified types or forms of
mental health disorders, which consist of depression, bipolar disorder, dementia,
schizophrenia, and others. The mental health illness impacts the individual’s thinking, mood,
and behaviour ranging to a number of signs and symptoms. The discussion will be based on
the issues such as ‘depression’, which is commonly found in women more than men at
different stages of life. Islanders youth in Australia has been found to commonly affected by
the mental health disorders such as depression, and the aboriginal people in the country
reported that 90% people wanted services than others. According to the data of 2007
National Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing of adults, it stated that depression is
amongst the age group of 16-85 years with the rate of 6.2% along with the other health
issues. In earlier years, depression reported amongst the child, and adolescents more than the
females, but the scenario has changed from the recent years (Cruwys & Gunaseelan, 2016).
Thus, the essay will enlist the facts and information about depression, and other
related aspects. Moreover, in the later part the discussion will lead to the discussion of
healthcare delivery systems, and selecting the most suitable system in context to the mental
health disorders in Australia. Apart from this, the essay will include the analysis of the social
determinant of health in context to the depression and the application of cultural safety and
person centred care, leading onto the conclusion of the assignment.
2. Mental healthcare delivery
2.1 Types of Health-care delivery
The Australian health system accounts as one of the most effective system, aims to
provide quality, safe and affordable healthcare for individuals. Health promotion and disease
prevention is one aspect that has emphasized by the health care institution or organisations
within Australia. WHO (World Health Organisation) determines process of enabling
individuals to sustain control over and further assure improvement of health. Therefore,
mental health promotion refers to the positive mental health of people, rather poor mental
health especially women within Australia. The report Australian Institute of health and
Welfare (2016), AIHW is the national agency within the country, which provides statistical

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information regarding the Australia’s health and welfare. Thus, the information revealed the
facts depression prevailing at the rate of 16.6%, and the rate tends to higher in young females
than young men. The positive mental health or wellbeing of the individuals across the
country and other regions is the outcome of the health promotion interventions (Knaak,
Mantler & Szeto, 2017).
In Australia, the primary health care is typically the first contact or criteria through
which an individual interacts with the health system. In the country, the vast majority health
services delivered in primary care settings. For an instance, in the past year 2011, a GP, and
others have provided approximately 117 million medications. Thus, primary care has selected
in this assignment, with respect to the issues or mental health problems. These are the
services, which are not delivered by the hospitals; envelop a range of providers and services
across the public, private and non-government sectors for mental health (Thornicroft et al.,
2016).
2.2 Types of healthcare delivery in Depression and their underpinning values
Mental health services in Australia describe the activity and characteristics of the
health care system within country. Up to the recent study or survey conducted in the year
2018, within Australia, community care services has been received by 4,20,000 people.
Thus, it has assumed that the goal of primary care in Australia in relation to
depression stated that models of care for mental health problems mainly consist of the role of
PN (Practice nurses). Patients under the care of PN, become enable to survive and attain
positive health through the role and support of practice nurses in Australia. This is due to the
reason that PNs educate patient’s importance of eliminating unnecessary stress, and focusing
on positive aspects of health and lead happy life (Thornicroft et al., 2016).
Therefore, the management of poor health of women or adults in Australia affected by
any mental disorder includes main contribution of the nurse. In recognition to the issue of
mental health issue, such as depression, there are three models of care. Primary health
services in Australia defined along with the aspects of prevention, early-intervention, and
treatment and the aspect of collaborative care is emphasised for the populations affected by
depression.
These are three stages of the models of care as PN involve their role to educate patient
or inform them about managing and taking treatment. Here, nurse assumes themselves as

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case manager and contact the patient regularly, which is determined as behavioural treatment
(Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia, 2018).
Two types of health care in context to the HCS within Australia offered to those
affected by the mental health disorder, as depression consists of Medicare and palliative care.
Secondary healthcare is a major part of the health services provided by the specialist or
professional within a facility in Australian HCS. Medicare is the universal funded healthcare
under the Australian health care system, which acts as the primary funder of health services
to the people. It assures people safety and effective health services under the negative
influence of mental health disorders (Shivappa et al., 2016).
End of life care or palliative care is provided to the patients with life limiting illness,
as it aims to improve the quality of life of the patient. The values underlying or principles in
context to these healthcare also mentions about the barriers which states about following
patient centred care approach in the healthcare. The Australian healthcare framework assures
the health and safety of individuals, through improving the health services and focusing on
mental health of the people. Health and safety of the patients, from the treatment processes,
and others considered as two values achieved through practising leadership and other
strategies in healthcare. Hence, it has led to the analysis 78% of the individuals, including
aboriginal islanders, and others consider receiving the treatment from primary care services
(Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia, 2018).
2.3. Social determinants of Health: Poverty (depression)
The social determinants of health in context to mental health disorders refers to the
conditions under which the individual learn, live, work, and grow inclusive of the healthcare
service. The determinants, which relate to mental health illness or disorder, consist of income
quality, poor education, job-insecurity, unemployment, lack of access to food, and healthcare
services (Jacklin et al., 2017). Therefore, the concept of social determinants is the result of
the combined factor of economic or social conditions of life of an individual, influencing the
health status. Thus, income, wealth, influence, social support, and power are the health
promoting factors recognised by WHO (World Health Organisation) (Mihrshahi, Dobson &
Mishra, 2015).
Poverty has been identified as major social determinant of health as creates a major
impact on the maintenance of health and wellbeing for a longer period. In addition, it has

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found through the research that currently people living with mental illness in Australia are
failed by the government policies, thereby leading towards poverty. This has been revealed
through the fact that the country, Australia is observed amongst the top 5 unequal societies
around the globe. For this context, it has found that gender disparities in mental health are the
structural determinants of mental health and mental health illness such as depression. Women
in Australia belong to the low socio-economic status, due to which they are exposed to the
risks of poor health and mental disorders like depression. Therefore, mental health illness
caused due to the low-economic background or living under the low-income group affects
individual’s participation in the community. In Australia, people suffer the issue of lack of
accessibility to treatment, affecting the course of illness, leading to the creation of vicious
cycle of poverty (Garg, Boynton-Jarrett & Dworkin, 2016).
From the above discussion it has been analysed that poverty leads to physiological
implications also, which consists of negative influence on stress hormones, immune system,
and sleep patterns. Other impacts from the issue of poverty also results into a greater risk in
terms of any disease or injury to the people. Poverty issues in the families leads to a major
impact on the women as depression increases their risk to other problems such as sexual
violence, and health problems such as Post Traumatic disorders (PTSD). Thus, it can be
stated that mental health illness such as depression is mainly triggered by the economic or
financial condition, of the individuals; as characterised as crucial social determinant (Dewing
& Dijk, 2016).
2.4 Cultural Safety and Patient centred care approach: Apply Codes and
Standards
In context to the health illness and care provided to the patients, it has been analysed
that the systems focusing on collaborating care with patients delivers effective healthcare
services. Person-centred or patient-centred care has globally recognised as significant
approach to the healthcare delivery. It is a diverse and evolving practice, which includes the
elements, patient engagement, and empowering patient towards self-care. Thus, the approach
states that patients must be treated as partners to achieve positive health outcomes, and
overcome the negative impact of illness on health (Schill & Caxaj, 2019).
Patient centred approach includes compliance with the standards or code of conduct
especially for nurses in the Australian healthcare. The Nursing and Midwifery Board of

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Australia (NMBA) has published new Code of Conduct for the nurses and midwives. As per
the code, all the nurses will be taken into effect on March 1, 2018 (Shahriari et al., 2016).
The discussion will now state about the consumer experiences of discrimination in the
healthcare, wherein discrimination may arise in terms of racism, ageism, sexism, and other
gender related issues. According to the research conducted on the mental health issues, it has
been analysed that stigma and discrimination is observed affecting people in number of ways.
Discrimination included inadequacy of the treatment or other health facilities for the people
suffering from mental health disorders such as depression, and it has become common in
healthcare (Rossom et al., 2016).
It has been analysed that women within country suffer from mental health disorders,
which further states about the compliance of midwives with the code of conduct. Nurse or
midwives must perform the duty of asking about the mental health history of the women or
patient, in a systematic manner. Moreover, it has understood that the mental health of the
women affects physical health; therefor nurse must take of their physical health while dealing
depression (Australian commission on Safety and Quality in Healthcare, 2018).
In relation to the healthcare, the strategy of Mental + discrimination + health + care
has used in the discussion of the mental health illness or disorders, as found suitable
according to the issue chosen in the assignment. Furthermore, four elements of the ICN code
of Ethics for nurses are important in context to Australian healthcare system. These consist of
nurses and people, nurses and practice, nurses and the profession. They must work with
commitment to deliver effective health services to the patients suffering from mental health
disorders, and should not discriminate with services and the treatment processes (Dewing &
Dijk, 2016). However, it has found through the assessment of discrimination in healthcare
services, that the material provided was suitable. The depression as a mental health disorder
has linked to the aspects of discrimination with treatment processes. Thus, cultural safety and
patient centred care in context to the patients suffering from depression states importance of
understanding the perception of patient towards treatment (Patel et al., 2016).
Nurse need to comply with the code of conduct to provide treatment, such as efficacy
of the antidepressant medications and psychotherapy is found suitable in many of the cases.
Cultural safety determines the experience of the recipient of care, and therefore it states the
importance of cultural safety training in the health care to lead positive health outcomes.
Therefore, to state about the people with the mental health stigma or depression need to be

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assured of the cultural safety and effective care and treatment. Therefore, it has been analysed
that cultural safety is essential in healthcare as it leads to the empowerment of both,
healthcare professionals and patients (Kirmayer, Bennegadi & Kastrup, 2016).
3. Conclusion
To conclude the above discussion it has been analysed that the depression is one of
the common mental health disorder amongst individuals during different stages of life. The
issue of mental health disorders or illness in Australia is gendered; that means 70% refer to
the women impacted by mental disorders. The issue has illustrated well in the above context
along with other aspects such as treatment, patient-centred care approach, and others. It has
been analysed that nurse play an important role in delivering care services to the patients of
mental health disorders. Thus, nurse or health professionals must focus on communicating the
treatment process and medications for treating the mental illness amongst individuals to help
attain positive health outcomes.

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References
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