An Analysis of Public Policy and Mental Health in Australia

This report examines the critical intersection of mental health, public policy, and civil society, focusing specifically on the Australian context. It begins by defining mental health and mental illness, highlighting the significance of understanding these concepts. The report then explores the social and historical context of mental health issues, including psychosocial factors and the evolution of treatment methods. A key focus is on the policy approaches adopted in Australia, detailing the goals and strategies of the National Mental Health Policy, including initiatives to improve access to services and reduce the burden of mental illness. The analysis covers the role of government, the objectives of mental health policies, and the impact of civil society. The report also discusses the importance of reducing disabilities, increasing life spans and providing Medicare to people suffering from mental illness. The report references relevant surveys and statistics from the Australian Bureau of Statistics, providing a comprehensive overview of mental health policy and its implications for the Australian population. The report also refers to the government initiatives to address the mental health issues in the country.

Running Head: PUBLIC POLICY AND CIVIL SOCIETY: MENTAL HEALTH
Public Policy and Civil Society: Mental Health
Name of the Student:
Name of the University:
Author Note:

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Introduction
According to World Health Organization (WHO) (2013), mental health is the well-being of
an individual mentally or psychologically. If an individual is facing emotional satisfaction along
with behavioural adjustment, then it can say that the individual is mentally satisfied and enjoying
life in his own terms. On the contrary, mental illness arises when there is a problem or certain issue
that the individual is facing or dealing with namely depression, loneliness, anxiety and stress or any
other personal issues such as death of the near and dear ones, addiction, grief or suicidal thoughts.
In that case, the individual need to consult a psychiatrist, psychologist or social worker and should
do meditation regularly (Reiss, 2013).
Mental health policy is a statement, which is declare by the government officially. The
health authority or the government investigate the matter by providing an overall direction to the
policy by describing the vision and mission (Levecque et al., 2017). Along with that principles,
values, objectives regarding the issues as well as structuring the action plan regarding the vision.
The action plan as well as all the other things need to be coordinated properly as the vision of the
organization is common to promote mental health so that illness can be reduce if the policy is
followed by the private NGOs as well as government. The policy guide to reduce the mental issues
so that mental health can be enhance (Barry, McGinty, Vernick & Webster, 2013).
Mental disorder or illness accounts around 13% of the major disease globally. It is expected
to be the largest disease by the end of 2030 as per research. The mental disorder lowers the life
span of an individual by nearly 15-20 years (Szmukler, Daw & Callard, 2014). Services provided to
the patients who are suffering from mental illness is not properly distribute, inefficient as well as
insufficient in under developed countries. As most of the countries allocate only 2% of the budget
in the mental health problems, which need to be, improve so that the society can be free from such
diseases. There is a treatment gap, which always prevails, so one need to reduce the gap by

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following global policy. This will ultimately help the civil society in the end (Patel, Saxena,
Frankish & Boyce, 2016).
Understanding of the issues
The understanding of the mental illness is very important and the initial stage to recognize if
anyone is suffering from mental illness. Good mental health refers to the condition where an
individual can think, feel as well as express along with the need and wants for living the life. If a
person is suffering, from mental illness, that person might not be able to react in an appropriate
way, reaction might become difficult and that person might be unable to cope up with the life
(Mellins & Malee, 2013).
Mental illness sometimes might take different forms just the way a physical illness takes
different form. Mental illness is mistreated, misunderstood and even feared by the society. This fear
can only disappear only if proper education is provided to the society. The mental illness is curable,
sometimes the person recognizes it sometimes they do not. Proper treatment is provided to the
patients, which ultimately help the person to recover from the illness and help them to get a better
life in the future (Musiat, Goldstone & Tarrier, 2014). This also known as psychiatric disorder,
which can be cure if proper care taken.
When a person is experiencing any mental health problem, it might disturb the person,
confuse them and can even scare them. The fear, which an individual face sometimes reinforced by
some TV shows, by films, or by media. These make the person to discuss about the mental
problem, which he/she might be suffering from which ultimately becomes bigger with every
passing day. This automatically make the person isolated and distress from the matter (Palinkas,
2014). However, almost all the person knows someone in person who is suffering from mental
health problem. In recent time, it has become common among the people to suffer from mental
health issues.

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The people might use the term mental health problem, which will automatically help the
people to be relieved psychologically. There are other terms, which might be helpful for the person
who is suffering from mental health issues. The person who is suffering from any sort of mental
health they should provide with proper counselling, for not be stressed out with the issue. The
person should be encouraged continuously to share their feeling as this might relief them from extra
burden or stress that they are facing after knowing that they are mentally not fit (Whitley, Smith &
Vaillancourt, 2013). This is how the illness should be recognized and treated by the other people
around the patient.
Contextualising the problem socially and historically
Psychosocial is a type of factors that encourages mental health issues such as hopelessness,
stress, depression, hostility and job control. This is a type of health inequality, which can be notice
in the common people as well. The mental illness and psychological disorder are influence by the
social factors namely gender, race, ethnicity, social class and household patterns. There are
organizations which help mentally illness are health care organization and disability and social
security system. The usage of drugs can also cause mental illness. Even stress is a type of socially
caused mental health problem, which is raise due to the excessive pressure. The mental illness can
cause the society, family, office and friends who are surrounding the person who is suffering from
mental health issues. This automatically create a problem in the society in large scale as it disturbs
the social environment (Gonzales, Suárez-Orozco& Dedios-Sanguineti, 2013). The people who are
suffering from mental health problem should be treat with care so that they can cope up with the
situation, as well as their illness could be cure.
The problem that are raising should be address properly by the people so that the person
who is suffering can fight with the problem and can acquire mental peace. If someone is suffering
from depression, the family and friends are the ones who help that person to get out of the
depression. Depression is also a type of mental illness and so as the stress, which is generally, occur

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when there is immense pressure in the workplace. Therefore, there should be friendly environment
in the workplace that should be maintain so that employees are not stress out while doing the work
(Jacob, 2013).
The person who is suffering from psychological disorder are likely to decrease the quality
of life of the individual who is suffering from the problem. This automatically lower the level of
productivity of the individual. It also effects the educational performance as well because the
person is not so confident about their performance (Nadal et al., 2014). Therefore, this should be
look by organization as well as government to provide proper knowledge regarding the matter so
that people around the individual who is suffering can help them out from this situation.
The change in the treatment of the mental illness is developing gradually with every
passing medical development. The treatment for the mental illness done from the 1930s where the
mentally unstable patients given mental shock so that they can be cured from the illness. In the year
1940s psychotherapy was introduce. In the year 1950s, artificial fever along with the electroshock
was use by the doctors to treat the patients. In the past, the people who behave differently and those
whose behaviour is not same as the persons in the society said to be abnormal person. The mental
illness can see in the past as well (White, Jordens & Kerridge, 2014). This is practice in the past as
well so it is quite normal. In recent times, almost every person possesses something or the other
mental illness. Some can recognize the illness and go for the treatment and other do not recognize
their illness or if they recognize the illness, they are unwilling to speak about it with the other
people not even with family members.
In the past, there is no counselling which is practice by the doctors. To treat the patients
who are suffering from mental illness only shock therapy is practice. In recent times, the
advancement of the medical science helps the doctors to adopt different techniques to treat the
patient who are suffering from mental health problem (Crowe, Inder & Porter, 2015). The doctors

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are now studying in details regarding the mental health issues, which help the patient to overcome
and cure their mental health problems.
Trephination is considering the oldest form of mental illness treatment. Then with the
advancement of the medical science, the practice of bloodletting and purging is use for the
treatment. Then comes in the concept of isolation or asylums, which is also prevailing in the society
as a form of treating the mentally ill person. Then comes into play the insulin coma therapy where
doctors lower the blood sugar level in the patient’s body so that fluctuation, which will happen in
the patient’s body, will alter the brain functions. Metrazol therapy and lobotomy came into
existence accordingly in the treatment process of the person who is suffering from mental health
problem (Habtamu, Alem & Hanlon, 2015). This is how the evolution in the treatment process is
note in the treatment of mental illness.
Policy Approaches
The policy in the mental health care organization is set to structure a definite vision that the
organization is willing to achieve in the end. The policy is structure by the Australian government
who investigate the matter of helping the people who are suffering from mental health problem.
There is also an action plan that is being structure by the concern organization so that vision that is
being follow and structure can be earn by the organization. The vision of National Mental Health
Policy is promotion of the mental health as well as preventing individuals from the mental illness.
The Government of Australia investigate the matter, so that they can prevent the illness which is
been notice in the people of Australia recently. According to Australian Bureau of Statistics, a
survey was conducted to regarding the mental health and well-being of them, and it has been found
that nearly 45% people in Australia have experience mental health issues in their whole life. In the
previous year nearly 20% of the total population of Australia have experience mental disorder or
mental illness (Parliament of Australia, 2019). The organization will help the person to overcome
such situation so that the quality of the life can be enhance and willingness to live can be increase

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in the people who was suffering from the disease (Tambuyzer, Pieters & Van Audenhove, 2014).
The government also want the medical support for mental illness should be accessible, affordable
and within the reach of every persons who are suffering from mental health issues.
There are certain goals, which is being aim by the government as well as the organization so
that the policy that is being set can met with the target they are aiming for. The goal of the policy
are as follows:
 To reduce the disabilities or any distress that the person is suffering from so that the
mortality is increased (Beronio, Glied & Frank, 2014).
 The problems, which is being face by the individuals, are mainly relate with the mental
health, if the mental health increases, the life span of the individual will increase
gradually.
 Subsidised Medicare will be provided to the people who are suffering from mental
illness by general practitioners, allied health professional as well as psychiatrists as
directed by the Australian government (Parliament of Australia, 2019).
 The policy will increase as well as strengthen the leadership in the mental health sector
in the national, district as well as state level (Tambuyzer, Pieters & Van Audenhove,
2014).
 Disability support pension will be provided by the Australian government to those who
are suffering from mental illness is an initiative taken by the government for enhancing
the social security payment (Parliament of Australia, 2019).
 The government of Australia is going to develop an agreement on National Partnership
where the committee will focus on prevention of suicide attempt in the country. This
will automatically save many life and proper treatment can be provided to the person for
mental illness which lead them to attempt for suicide (Parliament of Australia, 2019).

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 The registration as well as accreditation of the mental health professional will be done
by the Government of Australia under Australian Health Practitioner Regulation
Agency, to enhance the life in the country and betterment in treatment for mentally ill
person. The professional need to register and need to serve the country soon (Parliament
of Australia, 2019).
There are certain objectives, which need to be, look after by the organization as well as the
government willing treating a person who is suffering from the mental health issues. The objectives
are as follows:
 To lower the risk of suicide and suicidal attempt that is been taken by the mentally ill
person.
 Providing access to the treatment to people who are suffering from the mental health
problems.
 To identify the social, psychological or any other problems that the person is facing so
that the organization and government can help them to enhance their life and
willingness to live (Fazel, Geddes & Kushel, 2014).
 To ensure that the person who are suffering from the mental health problem can get the
respect and recognition in the society, which will automatically help the person to fit
mentally.
 To enhance the financial matter which will ultimately help in the promotion as well as
improvement in the health care (Beronio, Glied & Frank, 2014).
 Help people to view the life in different perspective so that they can value their life.
This will automatically increase the life span of the patients who are suffering from any
sort of mental illness.
 Help the person to overcome from the mental illness and enhance their mental health.

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Alternative approach
The alternative approach towards mental illness is increasing gradually with the
introduction of new techniques. The alternative techniques actually help the person to overcome the
mental health issues, which the person is suffering from for a very long time (Fazel, Geddes &
Kushel, 2014). In recent times, alternative approach for treatment is increasing gradually. The
alternative approaches are as follows:
 Acupuncture
 Yoga
 Expressive therapies
 Stress reducing techniques
 Meditation
 Relaxation
 Diet along with nutrition
These alternative techniques actually help the person to overcome the mental illness, as
people become more focus with the help of such alternative methods. The mental health care is
using such techniques to engage the person into some activities, which help them to build a sense of
trust and rapport with the person who came for the treatment (Dennis & O’Toole, 2014). The
alternative approach is quite helpful for the mental health care centres to conduct their good work.
The people are more into alternative approach in recent times as it helps the patient to get
motivated. The older approach demotivates the patient to go for the treatment but this recent
alternative approach attracts the people in large scale.

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Practice implementation
The new alternative techniques are practice and implement in the reality to treat the person
who is suffering from mental illness. This make the person feel confident about the treatment and
they started approaching mental health care centres. Previously, people who usually suffer from
mental illness are not confident to tell the others even not to their family members. In recent times,
the people are confident enough to speak about their mental illness that they are suffering from for
a prolonged period (Larkin, Felitti & Anda, 2014). The previously used techniques are quite
demotivating in nature, as it seems to be scary for the person. The new practice helps the person to
become more confident and go through the process so that they can get relieved from the mental
stress that they are suffering. The mental illness can occur to the common people as well as mental
illness can occur from the stress as well. The anxiety is a type of mental illness as well. The new
techniques are implemented in such a way that it takes less amount of time to cure the person who
is suffering from mental illness. The techniques which can be derived from the previous methods
are through medication, counselling done by the psychiatrist. Therefore, it can say that the
alternative techniques helped a lot more patient than older methods that used in the recent times.
The practice should be implemented in such a way that it benefits the human being to get cure from
the mental illness they are suffering from.
Conclusion
In the end, it can be concluded that in recent time the mental health care is adopting
alternative techniques more than the older techniques to treat the patients. There are not aware of
the fact that they are suffering from the mental illness. People who usually recognize their problem
are uncomfortable to express it to the others even to their own family members. The alternative
approach helps them to feel confident about the techniques, which is being use in the recent times.
There are policies, which is being follow by the health care as well as the governments to safeguard
the interest of the mental ill person. The policies need to be followed by the all person to treat the

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person who is mentally unstable in nature. There is contextual approach both socially and
historically. The society is treating quite well to the mentally ill people, as this is common in
people. Lastly, it can be concluded that the techniques which is been use by the health care is quite
effective in nature to improve the mental health of the person who is suffering from mental illness.
This will automatically reduce the percentage of people who are ill mentally and will help the
person soon.

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