Senate debates
Thursday, 10 May 2018
Motions
Schizophrenia Awareness Week
11:56 am
Anne Urquhart (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source
At the request of Senator Moore and Senator O'Neill, I move:
That the Senate:
(a) notes that:
(i) 20 May to 27 May 2018 is Schizophrenia Awareness Week,
(ii) people affected by serious mental illness, in particular psychotic illness, are among the most highly stigmatised and socially marginalised people in Australia, with nearly a quarter of people feeling isolated and over 13 per cent report having no friends at all,
(iii) people with schizophrenia are 12 times more likely to die from suicide than the general population,
(iv) factors that play a very important role in influencing recovery from schizophrenia include family relationships, treatment adherence, supportive therapeutic relationships, and access to community support, and
(v) we all have a role to play to 'Do What We Can Do' to build inclusive communities; and
(b) calls upon all governments in Australia to secure funding for recovery-oriented mental health services, in both hospital and community settings, as agreed to in the Fifth National Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Plan.
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