David Baxter PhD
Late Founder
Tell us your experience of Australia's mental health system
The Guardian (Australia)March 8, 2021
Guardian Australia is asking readers to share their stories about seeking help, and frontline workers to offer ideas on how to improve the system
Perth meditation coordinated by artist Andrew Baines to highlight mental health organisation Meeting for Minds. Photograph: Paul Kane/Getty Images
Dead ends and closed doors. People falling between the cracks. This language used in recent reviews of mental health systems in Australia denotes systems in crisis.
In the lives of individuals, systemic failures can be frustrating, confusing and catastrophic. Experts have been warning for some time that the next pandemic will be the mental health pandemic, and that the system as it stands is not up to the job.
We would like to hear from you about your interactions with the mental health system in Australia. Have you encountered significant barriers to getting the help you, or someone close to you, needed? Do you feel the pathway to help is clear and easy to follow? Are you a parent dealing with a confusing range of advice for a child in need?
Huge jump in Australians seeking mental health help during pandemic (Read more)
Also, we’d like to hear from frontline workers in the system. Are you a GP who has noticed a discernible change in the number or type of presentations around mental ill-health following the pandemic? Do you work in mental health and have ideas about what is needed to make the system stronger?
These are difficult subjects involving suffering. As far as possible please keep the responses to accounts of
interactions with the system – some of them will be published with your permission, and we will endeavour to respond to all readers within a few days.
If you need help, crisis support services can be reached 24 hours a day:
- Lifeline 13 11 14;
- Suicide Call Back Service 1300 659 467;
- Kids Helpline 1800 55 1800;
- MensLine Australia 1300 78 99 78;
- Beyond Blue 1300 22 4636
Share your experiences
You can get in touch by filling in the form on The Guardian website. Your responses are secure as the form is encrypted and only the Guardian has access to your contributions. One of our journalists will be in contact before we publish, so please do leave contact details.If you’re having trouble using the form, click here. Read terms of service here.
