Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Well, we know that this Friday is World Mental Health
Day and a new campaign from the Mental Illness Fellowship
of Australia is putting the spotlight on a major gap
in care, with nearly seven in ten people living with
severe mental illness missing out on any form of community support.
Here in the Northern Territory. Many are ending up in
(00:21):
emergency departments because they simply have nowhere else to go. Now,
joining me on the line is Tony Stevenson, the National
CEO of the Mental Illness Fellowship of Australia. Hi, Tony,
how are you?
Speaker 2 (00:35):
Yeah? Well, thank you Katie, thank.
Speaker 1 (00:37):
You so much for your time this morning. Now, Tony,
your new campaign really highlights a pretty alarming figure that
nearly seven in ten people are living well living with
a severe mental illness in Australia aren't getting any kind
of community support. What's going on here.
Speaker 2 (00:57):
It's absolutely it's a very very discerning development actually, and
look for the Northern Territory. That equates to about four
and a half thousand people with a severe and complex
mental illness. So people who really need to support living
in the community. We can help people stay well, stay
(01:22):
connected to family, be safe in their community. If we
have the support from the Northern Territory and federal governments
to get more services on the ground.
Speaker 1 (01:34):
Tony, it just feels like at the moment we don't
have enough. I mean, you've said that many people in
the Northern Territory are ending up in hospital departments because
they feel that they have nowhere else to run, I mean,
or to turn, I should say, I mean, we like
even earlier this morning, we were speaking to the Northern
Territory Health Minister about some other health issues and about
(01:55):
a lack of beds more generally across the Northern Territory.
And when you look at you know, at I guess
different support for territories with mental health needs. You know,
when you're in the emergency department, that's like that's your
last resort.
Speaker 2 (02:11):
Right it is. It is the last resort, and without
the support in the community. You know, our support can
help people just stay well for longer. You know. It's
support around stable housing, it's connection with family, it's you know,
for people to feel safe to be in and around
their community, to leave their home, that they understand and
(02:33):
have the support around their daily living needs. They're eating well,
they're looking after themselves, all of that support which happens
in their own home and in their own community, that
actually prevents people from getting to the point where their
mental health condition just escalates out of control and the
only option that god is to go to hospital, and
(02:53):
hospitals just can't deal with that demand.
Speaker 1 (02:57):
So what do we need to do? I mean right
around us by the look of things, but particularly here
in the Northern.
Speaker 2 (03:04):
Territory, Well, we need the Northern Territory government and the
federal government to come together and finally strike an agreement
around how they're going to deal with this particular issue.
The federal and state and territory health ministers have been
meeting to discuss a plan. They commissioned this national report
(03:28):
and that's where we found two hundred and thirty thousand
people around Australia four and a half thousand people in
the Northern Territory missing out on this support. So they've
got the report, they've got the data they need. It
is a shared responsibility between the state, territory federal ministers.
(03:49):
They just haven't taken the concrete steps they need to
to demonstrate that they're going to do something about this issue.
Speaker 1 (03:56):
And I mean, Tony, like we understand that you did
all viously that funding needs to go into mental health
support and those different services. I mean, what is the
impact if it doesn't and when it doesn't, well.
Speaker 2 (04:11):
People with severe mental illness also have severe physical health
problems as well. People are actually dying twenty three years
younger than the general population. Just you know, of course,
the risk of homelessness is very high, actual homelessness, the
risk of ending up in prison, all of these things
(04:34):
are there for people with severe mental illness if they're
not getting support. But it's actually the physical health deterioration
that leads to early death and a very high rate
of suicide. So there is so much more that we
can do that in the long term will prevent the
government's high expenditures around mental health and physical health. Keep
(05:00):
people well and safe in their own community and be
connected to family and community. Then they're going to be
better off and governments are going to save money in
the long term.
Speaker 1 (05:10):
We know tomorrow is obviously World Mental Health Day, and
it is such an important day. How do you hope
that you know, people listening this morning might sort of
reflect on World Mental Health Day and you know what
they may do.
Speaker 2 (05:27):
Well, firstly, I think it's so important to just take
a note of your own mental health and how are
you're traveling, and take steps to reach out and get help.
If there's someone that you care for, perhaps in your family,
in your community, or even new workplace that you're concerned about,
encourage them to reach out. We would do that without hesitation.
(05:49):
If somebody has a physical health problem, we need to
extend the same approach and the same compassion around mental
health as well.
Speaker 1 (06:00):
Yes, spot on, You know, I always think that to myself.
I think if somebody is diagnosed with a serious health issue,
you know, we, like you've just touched on, we do
all we can to try to help them when it
comes to mental health. You know, I just wonder when
we are going to get to the point where you know,
where our system, ourselves, everybody treats people, you know, the
(06:24):
same way.
Speaker 2 (06:25):
That's right, and often some of these really severe mental
health conditions they just happen without any warning, you know it.
Schizophrenia can happen to around two to three percent of
the population. Generally happens around late adolescents, earlier adulthood. We
don't have any warning about that. As families, but it
is so difficult to be able to talk about those
(06:47):
issues because of the stigma that still exists.
Speaker 1 (06:51):
Tony. It's really interesting there that you did speak about
adolescents as well. And you know, I hear quite a
bit here in the Northern Territory from parents of you know,
of teenagers of older sort of teenagers saying Katie, there's
just not really the need or the not sorry, not
the support that they need and they don't really know
(07:12):
where to turn or what to do.
Speaker 2 (07:15):
Yeah, that's right. Look, we have got a great website
with a lot of information about where people can go
to get support, particularly for young people, for example, from Headspace.
So look, we do encourage people now to connect for
their mental health and to connect to the resources available.
Our website is finding North dot org dot au. We've
(07:38):
got great resources there, but we've also got a safe
online platform for people with their own first hand experience
of their mental health condition. They may not know what
to do or where to go. There are other people
going through their recovery taking those steps, telling their stories.
So that is a great way. Yeah, that sort of
(08:01):
understanding and confidence and hope and optimism, you know that
there is something that you can do. And Jim, lastly,
if I can. We also have launched a petition on
that website finding North dot org. Are you on the petition.
We want as many people as possible to sign up
(08:25):
because we're going to take that petition into federal Parliament
next month. We need to demonstrate to the government that
the community expects more and they're right behind us when
we advocate for more funding for community mental health services.
Speaker 1 (08:42):
Good on you, Tony. Thank you so very much for
your time this morning. I really appreciate it, and I
know a lot of our.
Speaker 2 (08:47):
Listeners will yes, look thank you. It's great to get
your support as well.
Speaker 1 (08:53):
Thank you, Thanks so much.
Well, we know that this Friday is World Mental Health
Day and a new campaign from the Mental Illness Fellowship
of Australia is putting the spotlight on a major gap
in care, with nearly seven in ten people living with
severe mental illness missing out on any form of community support.
Here in the Northern Territory. Many are ending up in
(00:21):
emergency departments because they simply have nowhere else to go. Now,
joining me on the line is Tony Stevenson, the National
CEO of the Mental Illness Fellowship of Australia. Hi, Tony,
how are you?
Speaker 2 (00:35):
Yeah? Well, thank you Katie, thank.
Speaker 1 (00:37):
You so much for your time this morning. Now, Tony,
your new campaign really highlights a pretty alarming figure that
nearly seven in ten people are living well living with
a severe mental illness in Australia aren't getting any kind
of community support. What's going on here.
Speaker 2 (00:57):
It's absolutely it's a very very discerning development actually, and
look for the Northern Territory. That equates to about four
and a half thousand people with a severe and complex
mental illness. So people who really need to support living
in the community. We can help people stay well, stay
(01:22):
connected to family, be safe in their community. If we
have the support from the Northern Territory and federal governments
to get more services on the ground.
Speaker 1 (01:34):
Tony, it just feels like at the moment we don't
have enough. I mean, you've said that many people in
the Northern Territory are ending up in hospital departments because
they feel that they have nowhere else to run, I mean,
or to turn, I should say, I mean, we like
even earlier this morning, we were speaking to the Northern
Territory Health Minister about some other health issues and about
(01:55):
a lack of beds more generally across the Northern Territory.
And when you look at you know, at I guess
different support for territories with mental health needs. You know,
when you're in the emergency department, that's like that's your
last resort.
Speaker 2 (02:11):
Right it is. It is the last resort, and without
the support in the community. You know, our support can
help people just stay well for longer. You know. It's
support around stable housing, it's connection with family, it's you know,
for people to feel safe to be in and around
their community, to leave their home, that they understand and
(02:33):
have the support around their daily living needs. They're eating well,
they're looking after themselves, all of that support which happens
in their own home and in their own community, that
actually prevents people from getting to the point where their
mental health condition just escalates out of control and the
only option that god is to go to hospital, and
(02:53):
hospitals just can't deal with that demand.
Speaker 1 (02:57):
So what do we need to do? I mean right
around us by the look of things, but particularly here
in the Northern.
Speaker 2 (03:04):
Territory, Well, we need the Northern Territory government and the
federal government to come together and finally strike an agreement
around how they're going to deal with this particular issue.
The federal and state and territory health ministers have been
meeting to discuss a plan. They commissioned this national report
(03:28):
and that's where we found two hundred and thirty thousand
people around Australia four and a half thousand people in
the Northern Territory missing out on this support. So they've
got the report, they've got the data they need. It
is a shared responsibility between the state, territory federal ministers.
(03:49):
They just haven't taken the concrete steps they need to
to demonstrate that they're going to do something about this issue.
Speaker 1 (03:56):
And I mean, Tony, like we understand that you did
all viously that funding needs to go into mental health
support and those different services. I mean, what is the
impact if it doesn't and when it doesn't, well.
Speaker 2 (04:11):
People with severe mental illness also have severe physical health
problems as well. People are actually dying twenty three years
younger than the general population. Just you know, of course,
the risk of homelessness is very high, actual homelessness, the
risk of ending up in prison, all of these things
(04:34):
are there for people with severe mental illness if they're
not getting support. But it's actually the physical health deterioration
that leads to early death and a very high rate
of suicide. So there is so much more that we
can do that in the long term will prevent the
government's high expenditures around mental health and physical health. Keep
(05:00):
people well and safe in their own community and be
connected to family and community. Then they're going to be
better off and governments are going to save money in
the long term.
Speaker 1 (05:10):
We know tomorrow is obviously World Mental Health Day, and
it is such an important day. How do you hope
that you know, people listening this morning might sort of
reflect on World Mental Health Day and you know what
they may do.
Speaker 2 (05:27):
Well, firstly, I think it's so important to just take
a note of your own mental health and how are
you're traveling, and take steps to reach out and get help.
If there's someone that you care for, perhaps in your family,
in your community, or even new workplace that you're concerned about,
encourage them to reach out. We would do that without hesitation.
(05:49):
If somebody has a physical health problem, we need to
extend the same approach and the same compassion around mental
health as well.
Speaker 1 (06:00):
Yes, spot on, You know, I always think that to myself.
I think if somebody is diagnosed with a serious health issue,
you know, we, like you've just touched on, we do
all we can to try to help them when it
comes to mental health. You know, I just wonder when
we are going to get to the point where you know,
where our system, ourselves, everybody treats people, you know, the
(06:24):
same way.
Speaker 2 (06:25):
That's right, and often some of these really severe mental
health conditions they just happen without any warning, you know it.
Schizophrenia can happen to around two to three percent of
the population. Generally happens around late adolescents, earlier adulthood. We
don't have any warning about that. As families, but it
is so difficult to be able to talk about those
(06:47):
issues because of the stigma that still exists.
Speaker 1 (06:51):
Tony. It's really interesting there that you did speak about
adolescents as well. And you know, I hear quite a
bit here in the Northern Territory from parents of you know,
of teenagers of older sort of teenagers saying Katie, there's
just not really the need or the not sorry, not
the support that they need and they don't really know
(07:12):
where to turn or what to do.
Speaker 2 (07:15):
Yeah, that's right. Look, we have got a great website
with a lot of information about where people can go
to get support, particularly for young people, for example, from Headspace.
So look, we do encourage people now to connect for
their mental health and to connect to the resources available.
Our website is finding North dot org dot au. We've
(07:38):
got great resources there, but we've also got a safe
online platform for people with their own first hand experience
of their mental health condition. They may not know what
to do or where to go. There are other people
going through their recovery taking those steps, telling their stories.
So that is a great way. Yeah, that sort of
(08:01):
understanding and confidence and hope and optimism, you know that
there is something that you can do. And Jim, lastly,
if I can. We also have launched a petition on
that website finding North dot org. Are you on the petition.
We want as many people as possible to sign up
(08:25):
because we're going to take that petition into federal Parliament
next month. We need to demonstrate to the government that
the community expects more and they're right behind us when
we advocate for more funding for community mental health services.
Speaker 1 (08:42):
Good on you, Tony. Thank you so very much for
your time this morning. I really appreciate it, and I
know a lot of our.
Speaker 2 (08:47):
Listeners will yes, look thank you. It's great to get
your support as well.
Speaker 1 (08:53):
Thank you, Thanks so much.
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