CEO Update: Australia’s cost of living crisis shouldn’t cost our mental health
27 November 2024
CEO Message
CEO Update: Australia’s cost of living crisis shouldn’t cost our mental health
Cost of living pressures are having a considerable impact on mental health and wellbeing.
The Senate inquiry into the cost of living in Australia tabled its final report in Parliament recently, highlighting the significant, everyday financial pressures facing people in Australia.
These pressures are affecting more than just the hip pocket – our mental health and wellbeing is at stake.
Mental Health Australia’s 2023 Report to the Nation, a “pulse-check” of mental health and wellbeing, told us that even then, rising living costs were having a major impact on the mental health of one in two people in Australia, and that the cost of accessing mental health support was a barrier for one in five.
As cost of living pressures persist, Mental Health Australia members have also reported spikes in demand for crisis services related to financial distress: Lifeline has reported increasing numbers of calls about financial distress this year, with more than 500 callers a day disclosing cost of living pressures as a source of distress.
Data is also showing the effect of mounting financial pressures on the broader population, with analysis from other Mental Health Australia members pointing to the cost of living crisis being a top concern for young people and parents.
Most recently, Smiling Mind’s exploration of the mental health of Australian children and their caregivers – detailed in their 2024 State of Mind Report – lays bare these challenges and how heightened stress and anxiety for caregivers can directly influence the wellbeing of children.
The effect of stress and anxiety on young people around financial pressures is also mounting, with reports from headspace and Orygen highlighting increasing concerns for young people around cost of housing including rent and everyday living expenses.
Crucially, cost is proving to be a significant barrier to access to mental health support, at a time when people need it most. Recent data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics found 1 in 5 people delayed or did not see a health professional for their mental health when they needed to, due to cost.
The findings of the Senate inquiry report make a case for broader economic changes to address the drivers of the increasing cost of living for Australians. But we also need measures now to alleviate the pressures on those in our community who are bearing the brunt of this high cost of living.
As Beyond Blue reports, the greatest barriers to accessing mental health and financial counselling support are waitlists, affordability and people thinking that their problem isn’t serious enough to seek support.
This is why we have been calling for improvements to access to mental health supports, including free and low-cost options.
Evidence shows that effective and accessible mental health supports like those delivered by Mental Health Australia’s members right across the country provide value and deliver good outcomes for people with lived and living experience of mental ill health, and their family, carers and supporters.
Evidence also shows that investment in these services makes sound economic sense. For example, investment in supports across early intervention, workplace participation and preventing mental-health related hospitable presentations have been estimated to return long term savings of up to $10 for every $1 invested.
As we head towards a federal election – and are potentially in the last sitting week of this term of government – Mental Health Australia urges political parties of all persuasions to recognise the mental health impacts of Australia’s ongoing cost of living crisis, and prioritise increasing access to free and affordable mental health support now, while also addressing longer term cost of living drivers.
Carolyn Nikoloski
CEO, Mental Health Australia
The diary next week
- Today I am meeting with the Department of Health and Aged Care.
- On Thursday I am attending the inaugural meeting of the National Early Intervention Service Expert Advisory Group. I will also meet with the National Mental Health Commission.
- On Friday I am presenting to the Psychosocial Project Group on how governments can respond to unmet need for psychosocial supports outside the NDIS.
- On Monday I am meeting with Mental Health Australia members – Beyond Blue, the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists, and the Australian Association of Social Workers. I am also meeting with the Centre for Community Child Health.
- On Tuesday I am attending a webinar on early implementation findings of Neami’s Medicare Mental Health Centres.
Submission on National Mental Health Commission Reform
Mental Health Australia has called for the National Mental Health Commission to be restructured as an independent, standalone statutory agency in our submission to the Australian Government’s consultation on the future of the commission. A strengthened, independent commission is critical to improving our mental health and suicide prevention systems through robust monitoring and accountability.
Read our submission at the button below.
Mental Health News
Australian families at the table with parents and carers reference group
The Australian Government is hosting the first meeting of the new Parents and Carers Reference Group (PCRG), bringing together parents, carers and representatives of peak organisations representing the views of children, their families and communities. Part of the Government's ongoing commitment to embedding the voices of children and their families in the design, delivery and improvement of all Australian Government policies and programs, the PCRG will enable Government to hear directly from parents and caregivers on what matters to them.
Prime Minister's opinion editorial: Social age limit not to be feared but lauded – Adelaide Advertiser, 26 November 2024
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says the Bill on setting a new minimum age of 16 for using social media is sending a message to Mums and Dads who are worried about the impact that social media is having on their children's wellbeing, their mental health, their confidence and sense of self.
Headspace prioritises support, education and advocacy amid social media changes
Headspace CEO, Jason Trethowan, says the Australian Government's legislation to ban social media for young people under the age of 16 reflects growing community sentiment that more must be done to protect young people from harm online, and regulation is just one part of the puzzle when it comes to making the online world a safer place.
New focus for research on health and climate change
Assistant Minister for Health and Aged Care Ged Kearney said the Australian Government has published a new report on Australian climate change and health research, which outlines existing knowledge, identifies gaps, and makes recommendations about future climate and health research priorities. Meeting the challenges of climate change, including for our health system, is an Australian Government priority, and research is vital to addressing the impacts of climate change on health and health systems in Australia.
NDIS watchdog delivering results and building trust
Minister for the National Disability Insurance Scheme The Hon. Bill Shorten MP says the Australian Government's significant investment in the National Disability Insurance Scheme Quality and Safeguards Commission (NDIS Commission), more than doubling its workforce and fixing the phone and IT systems, is delivering results and building trust amongst the disability sector. The NDIS Commission's Quarterly Performance Report (1 July to 30 September 2024) revealed the Scheme's watchdog delivered five times more compliance outcomes (2,583) than the previous quarter, including 1,689 refusal of registration and 248 revocation of registration activities for providers doing the wrong thing.
Workforce critical to reducing suicide rates
The Australian Medical Association (AMA) says an adequately resourced workforce is key to making a meaningful impact on reducing the rate of suicide in Australia. The AMA's submission to the National Suicide Prevention Office's draft Advice on the National Suicide Prevention Strategy, says the current workforce crisis is negatively impacting patient care and must be addressed.
Launch of Coalition for Preventative Health Funding
Almost 20 consumer health organisations came together in Parliament House yesterday to form the Coalition for Preventative Health Funding, which is calling on the 48th Parliament to invest more on Australia's preventative health. Consumers Health Forum of Australia (CHF) CEO, Dr Elizabeth Deveny said the CHF's members and sector partners have consistently highlighted the urgent need for greater funding in preventive health, and while many politicians express agreement during discussions in Parliament, this support rarely translates into substantial investment in community-based preventive health measures on Budget night.
The Federation of Ethnic Communities' Councils of Australia (FECCA) welcomes the new Aged Care Act
FECCA has welcomed the Senate's passage of the new Aged Care Act, saying it is a critical step towards embedding respect, equity and dignity into the aged care system. FECCA has long called for reforms that prioritise the rights of all older Australians and ensure no one is left behind due to cultural or linguistic barriers, and says the Act offers an opportunity to create a framework where culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) older people are treated with the same respect and dignity as everyone else.
New report calls for urgent transformation of Australia's social services
A new report from the Centre for Policy Development (CPD), Putting People First: Social services that work for people and communities, has highlighted the critical need to refocus social services, such as aged care, early childhood education, disability support and employment services, on the people and communities they are meant to support.
New mental health ambulance co-response service launches (WA)
The Cook Government has established Western Australia's first-of-its-kind Ambulance Co-Response service, which will be operated through a partnership between the Mental Health Commission, the Department of Health, St John WA and the East Metropolitan Health Service. The service offers virtual triage, assessment and urgent care to Triple Zero (000) callers in the metropolitan aged16 years and above, where mental health is the primary cause for concern; and a mobile response team comprising mental health practitioners and paramedics to provide care for people experiencing a mental health emergency in the community.
Winners announced at the 2024 WA Mental Health Awards (WA)
Eleven awardees were recognised for their outstanding contribution to mental health at the 2024 WA Mental Health Awards this week. Presented annually by the Western Australian Association for Mental Health with support from the Western Australian Mental Health Commission and partners, the awards recognise the individuals, groups and organisations that went above and beyond during the 2023 calendar year to make a positive impact on mental health in Western Australia.
Autism diagnosis in focus for new advisory group (SA)
South Australia's Assistant Minister for Autism says a new State Government advisory group will focus on mitigating barriers to autism assessment and diagnosis in South Australia. The South Australian Autism Assessment and Diagnosis Advisory Group brings together State Government Departments and key representatives from national medical colleges including: Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists, Royal Australasian College of Physicians, Speech Pathology Australia, Occupational Therapy Board of Australia, Australian Medical Association. The Advisory Group will provide advice regarding factors contributing to barriers to autism assessment and diagnosis in South Australia.
Legislation to strengthen oversight by mental health review tribunal (NSW)
NSW Attorney General, Michael Daley says the NSW Government will introduce the Mental Health Legislation Amendment Bill to the Parliament, as work continues to strengthen the state's Mental Health Review Tribunal to better support families and victims. The bill will directly respond to issues raised with the Government recently around social media use by forensic patients and the decision process for granting of forensic patient leave.
Kids Helpline gets $17.1 million funding boost from NSW Government (NSW)
New South Wales' Minister for Mental Health and Youth says the State Government is improving access to essential mental health support for young people through a $17.1 million investment in Kids Helpline, providing greater access to free counselling services for children and young people facing emotional distress or mental health challenges. yourtown, who runs Kids Helpline, will use the funding to recruit up to 28 additional full time equivalent counsellors based in NSW, in response to increasing demand.
Mental health lived experience training hub opens (TAS)
The Tasmanian Government has welcomed the opening of the Mental Health Council of Tasmania’s Lived Experience ‘LEx’ Training Hub that will provide training pathways for people with lived experience of mental health and alcohol and other drug use, so they can support others and grow this important workforce. The Minister for Mental Health and Wellbeing said we know that peer support is a powerful tool in mental health care, as people with lived experience can offer unique insights and support, that is deeply meaningful and healing.
Link between alcohol and mental health highlighted in new campaign (TAS)
A campaign to encourage Tasmanians to think about their alcohol consumption has been launched. The Be Nice to Brain campaign is a partnership between the Tasmanian Government and Foundation for Alcohol Research and Education. Tasmania's Minister for Mental Health and Wellbeing said the statewide digital campaign shares the latest evidence-based information about the effect alcohol can have on mental health and wellbeing.
Ballarat Youth Mental Health Facility reaches milestone (VIC)
The Victorian Government says it is giving young Ballarat locals access to the mental health support they need and deserve, with the new Ballarat Youth Prevention and Recovery Care (YPARC) Centre one step closer. Minister for Mental Health Ingrid Stitt today unveiled designs for the new multi-million-dollar, 10-bed youth mental health project to be located in the heart of Ballarat, revealing a welcoming, home-like environment with private bedrooms to support young people in receiving the care they need throughout their recovery journey.
Next step in landmark reforms to reduce gambling harm (VIC)
The Victorian Government says it is continuing its critical work to reduce gambling harm with the introduction of the Gambling Legislation Amendment (Pre-commitment and Carded Play) Bill 2024. An estimated 330,000 Victorians experience harm because of gambling each year, costing Victoria around $7 billion annually and leading to significant financial distress, mental health concerns and relationship issues.
Mental Health Opportunities and Resources
Be Nice to Brain campaign resources now available
Be Nice to Brain provides information, tools and support to help Tasmanians understand how alcohol can affect sleep, mood, stress, anxiety and overall wellbeing. Developed by the Foundation for Alcohol Research and Education (FARE) with the support of Tasmanian health professionals and communities, the campaign provides practical advice on how to make a change, Be Nice to Brain supports Tasmanians to cut back or cut out alcohol and improve their wellbeing. It was You can learn more about the campaign at benicetobrain.org.au.
Learn more at the button below.
Economic Abuse Awareness Day 2024
Tuesday 26 November was Australia's annual Economic Abuse Awareness Day. Coordinated by the Centre for Women’s Economic Safety (CWES), the event invites organisations and individuals to get behind the effort to improve recognition of, and responses to, domestic economic abuse. This year's theme was There’s no excuse for economic abuse.
Get in quick! Funding opportunity for Queensland charities closing soon
Charities have less than a month to submit funding applications to two Queensland Gives funding programs to help support their operations and invest in new projects in 2025. Queensland Gives is the only inclusive state-wide community foundation seeking to meet the social needs of Queensland into the future, and supports over two hundred charitable organisations each year through its distribution of income and grant-making.
Applications for Queensland Gives' two major funding streams close on 13 December, with more than $5 million available across both streams.
Projects helping youth, women and families at risk are a particular focus for these rounds.
Open for consultation: Draft national standards for counsellors and psychotherapists
You are invited to participate in consultation to test the draft national standards for counsellors and psychotherapists via the Consultation Hub.
The Department of Health and Aged Care has engaged Allen + Clarke Consulting to undertake background research and extensive sector consultation to draft, test and refine a set of national standards for the counselling and psychotherapy professions.
The draft national standards are now available. You can review and provide feedback on the draft standards via the Consultation Hub until Friday 13 December 2024.
Have you connected with Embrace?
Embrace Multicultural Mental Health is now on LinkedIn
The Embrace Multicultural Mental Health Project is part of our work at Mental Health Australia, and provides a national focus on mental health and suicide prevention for people from multicultural backgrounds.
The Embrace project aims to:
- Increase participation of consumers and carers from multicultural backgrounds in mental health services
- Improve outcomes for multicultural mental health consumers, carers and their families
- Increase mental health awareness and knowledge for people in multicultural communities
- Improve cultural awareness and diversity of the mental health workforce.
Follow @Embrace on LinkedIn for news, insights, resources and more information on this important work supporting multicultural mental health in Australia.
Keep up to date with all things multicultural mental health with the Embrace newsletter.
Click on the button below to subscribe.
The Lived Experience (Peer) Workforce Readiness Checklist Webinar is fast approaching
The National Mental Health Consumer and Carer Forum (NMHCCF) is hosting a webinar on its recently released Lived Experience (Peer) Workforce Readiness Checklist. This webinar is organised and held by the NMHCCF Mental Health Peer Workforce Working Group.
When: 12:00-1:00pm AEDT, Wednesday 4 December 2024
Where: Online via Zoom.
Find our more about the webinar and register at the button below.
Reminder: Australian Government grant opportunity forecast
Mental Health Program – Postgraduate Psychology Incentive Program Round 2
The Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care has forecast an opportunity for grant funding through the Postgraduate Psychology Incentive Program, and released draft grant opportunity guidance.
The grant is intended to support higher education providers who have created additional postgraduate psychology places in courses which lead to general registration and can lead to relevant areas of practice endorsement. Funding will be available over 4 grant rounds, with one round opening each financial year from 2023-24 to 2026-27. Eligible organisations will be required to apply for each individual round as they become available on GrantConnect.
Read more at the GrantConnect website at the button below.
Update on NDIS legislation changes – frequently asked questions
There have recently been changes to the NDIS Act. From 3 October 2024 the most important changes included:
- participants can only use their NDIS funds for items listed as NDIS supports
- new and reviewed plans will show total budget amounts, funding component amounts, and funding periods
- the NDIA can change plan management type if people need help managing their funds.
Information about these changes is available on the NDIS website, including frequently asked questions.
Have your say: Consultations underway to inform design and delivery of Foundational Supports
Foundational Supports are additional supports for people with disability. They will sit alongside the NDIS and existing services in the community.
The Australian Government wants to hear from people with disability, parents, families and the sector to help design Foundational Supports.
There will be different types of Foundational Supports. The Department of Social Services is starting consultation on just some of these supports, called general supports. These are for all people with disability aged under 65. Depending on your interests, you can join discussions about supports like:
- information and advice
- self-advocacy
- peer supports
- capacity building.
The consultation has been extended to 5 December 2024. Have your say by:
- adding to an online ideas wall
- completing an online questionnaire or uploading a submission
- attending an event online.
Visit www.engage.dss.gov.au/Foundational-Supports to have your say or for more information.
Don't forget to share: Butterfly Foundation body dissatisfaction and appearance-related discrimination survey
Butterfly Foundation has commissioned KPMG to undertake a study on the costs to the Australian economy caused by body dissatisfaction and appearance-related discrimination. The project includes a survey to hear about experiences of body dissatisfaction and the impacts of appearance-related discrimination.
The survey is open to all people in Australia aged 16 or over, and should take around 15 minutes to complete. Please share with your networks to help fill gaps in the existing literature and uncover the true impact of appearance ideals.
Access the survey at the button below.
Recruitment for Prevention United's Youth Ambassadors Group in 2025
Prevention United is recruiting for their Youth Ambassadors Group. They’re looking for a group of young people who are passionate about youth mental health to shape their work advocating to the government. To be eligible, participants must be aged 16-25 and live in Victoria, be able to attend in-person monthly meetings in Melbourne, and available to participate in Group activities throughout 2025, including a two-day Summer intensive on 15-16 January 2025.
Australian Society of Psychological Medicine: Professional Peer Reflection Groups 2025
Registrations have opened for the Australian Society of Psychological Medicine's (ASPM) 2025 Professional Peer Reflection Groups.
Since 2015, ASPM has been at the forefront of promoting reflective practice. They have successfully organised peer reflection groups and continue to provide training for group facilitators who now lead professional groups throughout Australia.
An early bird rate is on offer for registration before 20 December 2024. Learn more at the button below.
Orygen: Help improve professional development for the youth mental health workforce
Orygen, The National Centre of Excellence in Youth Mental Health, is seeking to understand the learning needs of the youth mental health workforce in a short survey.
Mental health professionals who work with young people aged 12 to 25 are invited to help shape the future of professional development in youth mental health in The THRIVE Project: Exploring self-directed learning in youth mental health workforce survey. Survey participants can also win a $100 gift voucher.
The survey closes 25 January 2025 and can be accessed at the button below.
University of Melbourne: Seeking mental health prevention professionals
Survey of Community Attitudes to Prevention of Mental Health Problems
Researchers at the University of Melbourne are conducting a survey to understand community attitudes to the prevention of mental health problems, and actions taken to support mental health. Professionals with expertise in mental health prevention in practice, healthcare, policy, or research settings are invited to take part in an online survey to help identify ways to improve attitudes to prevention in Australia. The survey takes no more than 10 minutes.
For more information, please contact Ellie Tsiamis ellie.tsiamis@unimelb.edu.au or Professor Nicola Reavley nreavley@unimelb.edu.au, or click the button below.
Tomorrow! Occupational Therapy Australia’s OT Mental Health Forum 2024, 28-29 November, Melbourne
Occupational Therapy Australia’s (OTA) OT Mental Health Forum 2024 at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre is fast approaching and is set to be the largest yet.
Spanning two days and packed with sessions that will provide opportunities for OTs to gain insight into emerging trends, connect with fellow professionals, and participate in discussions that are shaping the future of OT in mental health, the Forum is an invaluable chance for OTs across all areas of mental health practice to gather, learn, and be inspired.
Register here: https://www.otausevents.com.au/mentalhealthforum2024/registration
View the program at the button below.
National Care and Support Sector Conference, 25 July 2025, Perth
The National Care and Support Sector Conference brings the Disability, Aged Care, Mental Health, Early Childhood Education and Care and Veterans' Care sectors together to discuss shared challenges and opportunities for providers at a time of rapid reform.
The conference aims to gather insights that will help shape reform, ensuring the voices of sector leaders, providers, and individuals with lived experience are heard at the highest policy-making levels.
Learn more at the button below.
Featured Members
Mental Health Coalition of SA Inc
The Mental Health Coalition of South Australia is the peak body for the non-government mental health sector in South Australia.
Vision - All South Australians affected by mental illness are receiving the support they need to live well in the community.
Mission - To influence the development, range and responsiveness of services to support people affected by mental illness by:
• Working to reduce stigma and increase an understanding of mental illness and its prevention
• Representing and working with the community mental health service sector (non government) to support people affected by mental illness
• Promoting and building the role of the community mental health service sector (non government).
Value Statement - We believe in the inherent value and dignity of each individual and the right to self-determination, citizenship and social justice.
Primary & Community Care Services Ltd
Primary & Community Care Services (PCCS) is a local health organisation working to make it easier for people to access the health and community services they need. We provide access to community-based services that include nursing, occupational therapy, physiotherapy, social work, care coordination and psychological support services. Working in partnership with funders including State and Federal Governments, insurance providers and other bodies, PCCS develops and delivers meaningful health programs and services for local communities. Our specialist care and coordination services are targeted toward people living with: complex health issues, social and welfare needs, long term mental health issues, psychosocial disability and others with complex needs.
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