Mental Health Spending on the Rise - AIHW
27 March 2013 at 11:16 am
Mental health spending in Australia is on the rise, according to new figures released by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW).
The latest figures, released on the AIHW's Mental Health Services in Australia website, show that after allowing for inflation, spending on mental health-related services increased to almost $6.9 billion in 2010-11, an increase of about $450 million from 2009-10.
“This equates to about $309 spent per Australian on mental health related services in 2010-11, an increase from $248 per Australian in 2006-07,” AIHW spokesperson Dr Pamela Kinnear said.
The new figures also show that over $4.2 billion was spent on state and territory specialised mental health services in 2010-11, and of this a large proportion ($1.8 billion) was spent on specialised mental health services delivered in public hospitals for admitted patients.
“The figures released today also show that the Australian Government's spending on mental health related services is rising,” Dr Kinnear said.
“This includes $852 million paid in Medicare benefits for mental-health-related services, equating to about 5% of total Medicare expenditure. Almost 9% of all prescription subsidies in 2010-11 were mental health-related, totalling $834 million, or $38 per Australian.”
AIHW has also presented the latest figures on the 1,450 specialised mental health care facilities providing care in 2010-11.
According to the figures, around 10,800 specialised mental health beds were available nationally during 2010-11, with around two-thirds (6,755 beds) provided by public hospitals.
The AIHW is a major national agency set up by the Federal Government to provide regular and relevant information and statistics on Australia's health and welfare.
Of course mental health spending is up. ……………………………………………………$$$$
***If your depressed what does the following tell you to do?
– You goto the Dr they place you on anti-depressants
– You goto a Counsellor and they ask you to goto a Dr , who will place you on drugs
– You read a book trying to find some help to understand why your feeling this way, and the authors like beyond blue say goto the Dr
– You watch TV and you see advertisements telling you that you can’t cope so you need a drug
– You are forced to goto a Job Network provider to seek work. You say your not feeling great because you’ve been unemployed. The psychologist advises you to go to the Dr!
In most circumstances the root causes to your depresssion are over looked. It should be noted that every one has there ups and downs. Popping addictive medications helps make Dr’s and Pharmists , Dr companys rich! Most Dr will introduce you to a drug , but where can you go what service can you goto if you want to stop taking the drugs? They are highly addictive and when you come off them they can cause so many problems. User be aware!!!
As the mother of a 21 year old with schizophrenia, there is funding for doctors visits and medication (both of which have helped him enormously) but no funding for when you are in recovery.
How about funding to help people find meaningful part time work. My son would love to get off benefits and get some skills and work experience to really help with his recovery. Now that would be effective spending on mental health.
We have witnessed various possible changes in health care system made by Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW). This organization is quite helpful in providing beneficial health care opportunities to the people of Australia mostly it directly puts an effects on mental health care system through which we can easily get better relaxation.