Australia's National Mental Health Plan 2003-2008
22nd April 2004
By: ADGP

Australian Health Ministers recently endorsed a National Mental Health Plan for 2003-2008. The Plan has four priority themes:

• Promoting mental health and preventing mental health problems and mental illness
• Improving service responsiveness
• Strengthening quality
• Fostering research, innovation and sustainability

The Plan is described as consolidating the achievements of the First and Second Plans, addressing gaps in both, and taking the National Mental Health Strategy forward with restated and new directions. Of interest to the primary care sector, Plan 2003-2008 continues an emphasis on high prevalence illnesses such as depression and anxiety disorders and acknowledges that the primary care sector is a critical element of mental health - for promoting community awareness, for prevention and early intervention, for treatment and referral.

The Plan includes specific commitments to improve access to GPs and private psychiatrists through measures such as the development of primary care programs in which GPs and mental health professionals provide shared care, expanded shared care between GPs and private psychiatrists and strategies that enhance the role of GPs in delivering mental health care particularly in rural and remote areas. The Plan also highlights the interdependence of physical and mental health, calling for improved capacity in both the mental health and general health sectors to deal with this complex inter-relationship.

You can download the plan below -

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