Using data to drive change
Last week Mental Health Australia was pleased to host a special webinar in collaboration with the National Mental Health Commission for our members to learn more details about the recently released National Report Card 2023.
The National Report Card gives an updated approach to annual reporting on the mental health system by drawing together data from a range of sources, to reflect on the 2023 calendar year and understand how the system – and Australians’ mental health and wellbeing - is faring.
It highlights many useful data points and trends about the wellbeing of people in Australia and the capacity of our mental health system:
- There is increasing psychological distress across the community, tracked by the National Health Survey (from 10.8 per cent in 2011, to 13.6 per cent in 2017 to 14.4 per cent in 2022 of people experiencing high or very high psychological distress).
- Young women are experiencing far higher rates of mental health conditions now than before (46 per cent in 2022 compared to 29 per cent in 2007).
- There is a 32 per cent shortfall in mental health workers (across a range of professions).
- There has been no significant improvement in the proportion of people reporting positive experiences of public mental health care.
- Promisingly, the data indicates the gap in employment rate between people with and without experience of mental health conditions is reducing.
Data such as this is essential in steering the focus of policymakers and enabling accountability for progress over time.
During our webinar, many reflected on future opportunities to move towards more real-time data monitoring and collection. While there are some challenges in making this happen, during the COVID-19 pandemic we demonstrated that it can be done, to enable more rapid decision-making. The insights we can get from real-time data is a critical enabler to moving from a ‘set and forget’ policy mindset, to one in which we’re continuously improving and evolving, as we learn more.
We shouldn’t underestimate the information captured in the data we currently have access to, and collectively we need to use this in our advocacy work to put forward recommendations and drive policy shifts where needed. However, improved and wider data will inform improved and wider-reaching services and broader policy responses.
We welcome the Commission's invitation to work with us and the sector to continue to improve the National Report Card in the future, including greater incorporation of qualitative data and learnings from people with lived and living experience of mental ill-health and their family, carers and supporters.
Mental Health Australia will continue to advocate for further investment in robust data and monitoring systems, along with an independent National Mental Health Commission. However there are still significant opportunities to use current data effectively – to both inform the continual improvement of service delivery and also inform our advocacy efforts for systemic change.
Carolyn Nikoloski
CEO, Mental Health Australia | 
