E-Health Cited as Failing Element in Major Mental Health Committee Resignation.

The following report appeared a day or so ago.

It is written by he who resigned ‘in disgust’.

John Mendoza resigned as chairman of the National Advisory Council on Mental Health last week. He is adjunct professor of health science at the University of the Sunshine Coast and adjunct associate professor of medicine at the University of Sydney.

Mental health lacks cash

• John Mendoza
• From: The Australian
• June 22, 2010 12:00AM

RUDD could make a huge difference with relatively modest funding, says John Mendoza.

LAST Friday the Prime Minister again restated his commitment to do more on mental health, calling it the "next cab off the rank".

While some more argue that there are a lot of cabs parked at the Rudd government's rank, we in mental health have yet to see any cab at all yet, let alone a driver with any idea of where we are going.

On December 7 last year, aptly while speaking at the John Curtin School of Medicine in Canberra, Kevin Rudd provided the first detailed response to the National Health and Hospitals Reform Commission report, what the government termed the Bennett commission because it was chaired by Christine Bennett.

The Prime Minister said that "a lack of early identification and intervention forces people suffering from acute mental illness to turn to hospitals . . . as their only option for help".

He was correct in identifying that systemic problem.

He went on to ask: "Why is it that mental health problems are so often picked up by police and drug workers, not our health services? This is the problem today, but it will become a greater problem in the future."

The reality is that mental health services across Australia remain in crisis.

.....

But, across Australia, lifesaving suicide prevention services are starved for funds.

About $100m would expand these crucial services and we should concentrate on suicide hot spots such as The Gap in Sydney, where just last week the NSW government passed on an opportunity to fund suicide prevention.

Fourth, $20m would fund effective e-health programs. For high-prevalence disorders such as anxiety, there's solid evidence that e-health programs reach a huge number of people in a very cost effective way.

Australia was a world leader in this a decade ago, and the internet is only going to become more important as a source of information and support - but now we're backsliding.

Fifth, 60 per cent of our homeless have severe mental health problems. That's about 63,000 people, and they need housing and support services.

These people are not lost causes. With help they can regain employment and their lives.

There are some great programs across the country, including the Housing and Accommodation Support Initiative in NSW, but your chances of getting a place are about the same as those of winning the lottery.

.....

So, what's stopping the Rudd government?

The Prime Minister has told us that fixing mental health care in Australia will be the "next cab off the rank".

But we're still not sure what that cab looks like: is it a rickshaw or a Commodore? Mr Rudd, we've got the cab, tell us when it's going to take off.

Full article here:

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/opinion/mental-health-lacks-cash/story-e6frg6zo-1225882476297

It is really pretty bad that someone in this situation becomes so frustrated that he feels he has to resign.

It is good for him to remind Government how little would be needed to provide a mental e-health program – which is known to really help very cost effectively.

See here for example.

http://aushealthit.blogspot.com/2008/01/mental-illness-and-web-canadian-view.html

David.