The Federal Government’s $48 million spend on a pandemic mental health plan falls well short of what’s needed to prevent a looming mental health disaster, a leading expert says.
Key points:
- Some experts fear suicides caused by the pandemic could overshadow deaths caused by the illness itself
- The pandemic mental health plan includes almost $30 million for outreach programs for vulnerable Australians
- The Health Minister says state governments will also contribute funding
Former national mental health commissioner Ian Hickie fears Australia’s suicide rate will dramatically increase as a result of the pandemic and the economic fallout.
He said the Government package — which is focused on data collection, outreach services and communication — contained some good elements but did not go far enough.
“I think the amount of money is in fact, small,” said Professor Hickie, who is also a founding director of Headspac