House debates
Monday, 20 October 2008
Questions without Notice
Mental Health
3:16 pm
Kevin Rudd (Griffith, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Hansard source
I thank the honourable member for Dobell for his question. Yesterday I had the privilege of walking with Andrew Johns on the beginning of his walk from Newcastle to Sydney. He is doing so in support of mental health and the great challenge which it presents to so many families and communities across Australia, but particularly in support of the great work done by the Black Dog Institute. They do a fantastic job in themselves, together with a number of other non-government organisations that work in this area. In fact, recently my wife, Therese, had Black Dog around at Kirribilli to celebrate some of the work that they are doing and to commend various of the businesses that have been supporting Black Dog as well.
Together with the member for Newcastle, yesterday we began this walk from the middle of Newcastle heading south. I piked after five kilometres; Andrew Johns is going for the rest of the week. But the important thing is this: it is showing and shining a searchlight on this critical and undisclosed disease in our community, mental health. Here we are in the year 2008 and so many people still feel uncomfortable talking about it. Mental health is as real as any other form of so-called physical health and part of the problem of dealing with mental health challenges is to get people talking about them openly, talking about them candidly and talking about them as they would talk about any other disease which is affecting them, their families and their communities. But so much of the problem up until now has been this culture of silence. The time has come to lift the veil and I really commend the courage of Andrew Johns for being part and parcel—in fact a leader—in this community-led process, for causing us to have a genuine national conversation about mental health and about what to do about it. That goes to what to do about depression, bipolar disorder and so many of the other diseases which afflict so many Australians.
On the question of mental health, the government has increased its funding over the four years from 2008-09 to $783 million compared with the $411 million which had been provided from 2004-05 to 2007-08. As part of that the government has a plan for perinatal depression—$85 million over five years. In addition to that there is a $35 million program to support mental health nurses and psychologists training through a particular subsidy for those professions. Government action is critical but community awareness is equally critical. Regrettably, so much of the undisclosed nature of mental health problems, mental illness and depression results in people across this country taking their lives because it remains a great disease of silence.
The great thing about Andrew Johns’s initiative and the great thing about so many other initiatives like it around the country is that we are throwing the doors open on this great scourge across our country. It is when people start talking about it, when you have government programs backing them up and when you have decent community organisations out there supporting them that we can make a difference. So my plea to all men and women of goodwill on all sides of politics—it does not matter which way you vote—is to get behind Andrew Johns’s walk all the way from Newcastle to Sydney. He is due to conclude on Friday. He is going to raise some money but on top of that raise community awareness that this is nothing to be embarrassed about. It is just like any other disease. It is important to talk about it and bring it out into the light. I commend his courage and his leadership in being out at the forefront of this national campaign.
Mr Speaker, I ask that further questions be placed on the Notice Paper.
Comments
Mental Health Nurse
Posted on 20 Nov 2008 9:15 pm
Can I start by saying yes its a fantastic thing that Andrew Johns is doing I am sure every dollar is appreciated by those who receive it. Ok the fun stuff over !! Mental Illness not Mental Health is the topic here, Kevin Rudd your speech was all about mental HEALTH...those of us fortunate enough to have it dont need it, call it what you like, phrase it how you wish, after 30+ years working in Mental Health Institutions, Mental Health Public Hospital Wards (Psychiatric Inpatient Units) and being a manager of Community Mental Health Services and now on the "dark side" the NGO Sector I can stake my reputation on the fact that the term is Mental Illness and by avoiding that term we all contribute to the continuing stigma associated with Mental Illness.
Let me digress do people who have a broken leg talk about leg health, do people who have a heart attack then talk about heart health or do we all simply call it what it is this person had a heart attack has cardiovascular disease and so on and so forth. Why then do we all talk incessantly about mental health, I heard today that someone got diagnosed with mental health. I wish more of us had that diagnosis.
Mental Health is simply defined as the absence of a mental illness, more like the absence of a noticeable or diagnosable mental illness.
After 30 years of caring and working closely with thousands of people who are most unfortunately afflicted with significant and serious mental illnesses I can safely say that their collective interpretation of their definite plight is more genuine that the "Mental Health" clan.
Stop I implore you STOP! and think, ok Andrew Johns may have a diagnosis of Bi Polar disorder but in his defense he has millions in the bank, enjoys notoriety, and well even from a cynic like me is the best rugby player of all time which I agree is no mean feat for a person with mental illness.
Lets spare a though for those of us suffering from mental illness......and I am talking about the significant portion of people who remain confined to hospital for significant periods of time, those who are severely affected and have significant life skills deficits.
I implore all of the theorists to cease immediately the inane pursuit of freedom for all. Stop I tell you stop! the over riding principle for care and protection of people with a mental illness is the simple phrase "the least restrictive form of care" well at least that's what the theorists will have the policy makers believe. I have a real problem with the above quoted statement. well really I would like to add one word to it, I firmly believe that the statement should be and always was "the least restrictive form of APPROPRIATE care.
Some of you wont like this but for some people who have a serious mental illness the least restrictive form of care may be a straight jacket with buckles and padded wool skin restraints. Thankfully that would apply to a minority, but the essence is that for many people where the debate rages or is totally silent... is some misguided theoretical synapse that no matter what, everyone should live in the community.
After thirty years+ I can firmly conclude without question a number of points.....
1. A significant proportion of the population who suffer from a severe mental illness will need some sort of supervised care in the long term. This supervision is not always because they are dangerous but simply because the cognitive deficits experienced are so severe that they are not able to safely care for themselves in an unsupervised environment.
2. Many clients with severe mental illnesses lack the insight to properly regulate their behaviors and so fail to recognize the basic principles of community living, so are unable to live in the community.
3. Remaining long term in a secure closed environment for ones own safety is a real possibility for some people experiencing severe mental illness.
4. We should immediately pass a law that prohibits journalists from reporting serious crimes and coupling them with a persons recent visits to a psychiatrist. How many times have you heard the following, a man was stabbed today, his assailant was caught and sources say he was suffering from, .....diabetes.....whooping cough.....had recently seen his heart surgeon....NO of course not what we always hear is ....he had recently consulted his Psychiatrist or he had a history of mental illness. In many of these cases, yes he had been sent to a Psychiatrist...who found that he was not mentally ill, or he had a history of getting admitted to psychiatric facilities because he was mentally disordered, eg out of control on alcohol or drugs or responding to a major stressor. None of these things makes this person mentally ill.
5. There are two kinds of people in this world, those of us who are inherently good and those of us who are !@#$%^& not so good. With 30 years experience in the field I believe if someone is inherently good then when they develop a mental illness they continue with those good traits, if someone is a !@#$..or inherently bad then if they develop a mental illness then they are likely to continue with their original traits. Point being there is as much chance of a nasty person developing a mental illness as a good person so for a person who has a significant illness we should not automatically attribute their behavior to their illness.
6. Can the "do goodie", theorists and policy makers stop the "crappola" and concentrate on funneling the money to programs which understand the sentence "least restrictive form of APPROPRIATE care"
7. Lastly anyone who reached this point must be a saint..so stick with me one more time.....can we get some new money to funnel towards the people who are unfortunate to be stuck in this group....yes yes those people confined to secure environments with their difficult behaviors and their inability to subscribe to the a aforementioned principles of community living...you know the ones who are marginalized, stigmatized and forgotten. Kevin Rudd hey how about for those clients you provide amenities cash.......i mean totally separated, from the doctors nurses and administrators...I mean real cash, real items, real belongings for these clients........cummon !!! In the words of a recent acquaintence suffering form a severe mental illness.....I am a real person, I am still a person, I am a human living on this planet, I am only going to get one spin like the rest of you more fortunate people, I might not vote, I might not connect with many of you....but I am in here......I see the adverts on the TV oh how I would cherish an IPOD, How I would love that WII, PS3, new jeans...new hat.....that cool makeup......I know whats happening....I have dreams like everyone else.
Mental Health Nurse
Posted on 20 Nov 2008 9:11 pm
Can I start by saying yes its a fantastic thing that Andrew Johns is doing I am sure every dollar is appreciated by those who receive it. Ok the fun stuff over !! Mental Illness not Mental Health is the topic here, Kevin Rudd your speech was all about mental HEALTH...those of us fortunate enough to have it dont need it, call it what you like, phrase it how you wish, after 30+ years working in Mental Health Institutions, Mental Health Public Hospital Wards (Psychiatric Inpatient Units) and being a manager of Community Mental Health Services and now on the "dark side" the NGO Sector I can stake my reputation on the fact that the term is Mental Illness and by avoiding that term we all contribute to the continuing stigma associated with Mental Illness.
Let me digress do people who have a broken leg talk about leg health, do people who have a heart attack then talk about heart health or do we all simply call it what it is this person had a heart attack has cardiovascular disease and so on and so forth. Why then do we all talk incessantly about mental health, I heard today that someone got diagnosed with mental health. I wish more of us had that diagnosis.
Mental Health is simply defined as the absence of a mental illness, more like the absence of a noticeable or diagnosable mental illness.
After 30 years of caring and working closely with thousands of people who are most unfortunately afflicted with significant and serious mental illnesses I can safely say that their collective interpretation of their definite plight is more genuine that the "Mental Health" clan.
Stop I implore you STOP! and think, ok Andrew Johns may have a diagnosis of Bi Polar disorder but in his defense he has millions in the bank, enjoys notoriety, and well even from a cynic like me is the best rugby player of all time which I agree is no mean feat for a person with mental illness.
Lets spare a though for those of us suffering from mental illness......and I am talking about the significant portion of people who remain confined to hospital for significant periods of time, those who are severely affected and have significant life skills deficits.
I implore all of the theorists to cease immediately the inane pursuit of freedom for all. Stop I tell you stop! the over riding principle for care and protection of people with a mental illness is the simple phrase "the least restrictive form of care" well at least that's what the theorists will have the policy makers believe. I have a real problem with the above quoted statement. well really I would like to add one word to it, I firmly believe that the statement should be and always was "the least restrictive form of APPROPRIATE care.
Some of you wont like this but for some people who have a serious mental illness the least restrictive form of care may be a straight jacket with buckles and padded wool skin restraints. Thankfully that would apply to a minority, but the essence is that for many people where the debate rages or is totally silent... is some misguided theoretical synapse that no matter what, everyone should live in the community.
After thirty years+ I can firmly conclude without question a number of points.....
1. A significant proportion of the population who suffer from a severe mental illness will need some sort of supervised care in the long term. This supervision is not always because they are dangerous but simply because the cognitive deficits experienced are so severe that they are not able to safely care for themselves in an unsupervised environment.
2. Many clients with severe mental illnesses lack the insight to properly regulate their behaviors and so fail to recognize the basic principles of community living, so are unable to live in the community.
3. Remaining long term in a secure closed environment for ones own safety is a real possibility for some people experiencing severe mental illness.
3. We should immediately pass a law that prohibits journalists from reporting serious crimes and coupling them with a persons recent visits to a psychiatrist. How many times have you heard the following, a man was stabbed today, his assailant was caught and sources say he was suffering from, .....diabetes.....whooping cough.....had recently seen his heart surgeon....NO of course not what we always hear is ....he had recently consulted his Psychiatrist or he had a history of mental illness. In many of these cases, yes he had been sent to a Psychiatrist...who found that he was not mentally ill, or he had a history of getting admitted to psychiatric facilities because he was mentally disordered, eg out of control on alcohol or drugs or responding to a major stressor. None of these things makes this person mentally ill.
4. There are two kinds of people in this world, those of us who are inherently good and those of us who are !@#$%^& not so good. With 30 years experience in the field I believe if someone is inherently good then when they develop a mental illness they continue with those good traits, if someone is a !@#$..or inherently bad then if they develop a mental illness then they are likely to continue with their original traits. Point being there is as much chance of a nasty person developing a mental illness as a good person so for a person who has a significant illness we should not automatically attribute their behavior to their illness.
5. Can the "do goodie", theorists and policy makers stop the "crappola" and concentrate on funneling the money to programs which understand the sentence "least restrictive form of APPROPRIATE care"
6. Lastly anyone who reached this point must be a saint..so stick with me one more time.....can we get some new money to funnel towards the people who are unfortunate to be stuck in this group....yes yes those people confined to secure environments with their difficult behaviors and their inability to subscribe to the a aforementioned principles of community living...you know the ones who are marginalized, stigmatized and forgotten. Kevin Rudd hey how about for those clients you provide amenities cash.......i mean totally separated, from the doctors nurses and administrators...I mean real cash, real items, real belongings for these clients........cummon !!! In the words of a recent acquaintence suffering form a severe mental illness.....I am a real person, I am still a person, I am a human living on this planet, I am only going to get one spin like the rest of you more fortunate people, I might not vote, I might not connect with many of you....but I am in here......I see the adverts on the TV oh how I would cherish an IPOD, How I would love that WII, PS3, new jeans...new hat.....that cool makeup......I know whats happening....I have dreams like everyone else.