...Picture 9: Mental Health Mental health has been described as the most pressing public health issue of our time with the mental health of youths becoming an increasingly important issue to address (Abraham, n.d.). A 2013-14 national survey conducted on the mental health and wellbeing of Australian children and adolescents showed that one in seven young Australians aged 4-17 were assessed as having a mental disorder in the past 12 months. Children under 17 are more likely to suffer from ADHD and anxiety disorders (7.4% and 6.9% being affected respectively) and the most debilitating disorder for this age group was found to be major depressive disorder, affecting 2.8%. Schools play a major role in providing education and support regarding mental...
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...Statistics in Australia show that between 14 to 18% of children and adolescents are experiencing mental health issues. Due to this, the estimated forecast for depression, self-harm and suicide in the next generation of Australian adults is particularly alarming. Access to support for families and young people effected seem to have increased considerably over the past 20 years. However, still only 60% of those effected were able, or willing to access health services (Report on the Second Australian Child and Adolescents Survey of Mental Health, 2015, p.6). Why? This essay will point out the necessity for a concentrated effort by government authorities and the extended community to help promote programs to identify mental health issues in their...
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...changes in approach to mental health/illness within Australia from the 1970’s to the 1990’s. You will need to include at least three (3) government enquiries/investigations which have helped shape government direction in the provision of mental health services. A Federal Government Inquiry released in the same year as the 1955 State Grants (Mental Institutions) Act provided large amounts money to institutions for capital works, was damning of the ‘inadequate’ mental health system, highlighting low standards of care, abuse and overcrowding (Stoller, 1955). As a result of this, there was a wider general interest in mental health. In what could be the beginnings of deinstitutionalisation in Australia, as the report also called for an increase in community services. Funding provided by the government in the seventies was pivotal to the establishment of community mental health services being more assessable with outreach and after care programs being setup in hospitals. This also heralded the beginnings of many Non government and independent services. * In 1983, the Richmond Report, release in New South Wales, advocated strongly for further deinstitutionalisation and an increase in community services for people with psychiatric disabilities. It suggested a change in funding arrangements from hospitals to community based care services, the expansion of integrated community based services, the separation of developmental disability services from mental health services and a decrease...
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...would be seen as doing more towards the prevention of suicide. Youth suicide is the most concerning area of suicide and its destruction of young life has implications for the long-term affairs of our community. The Australian government identified this and in the 1995/96 commonwealth budget provided substantial funding, $13 million dollars with a combined total of $31 million by 1999. This initial funding lead to the creation of the National Youth Prevention Strategy administered by Department of Health with emphasis on promotion, prevention and early intervention. (Living is for everyone, 2008, p. 7) Since then many agencies have been proactively targeting youth suicide. In 2000 the National Youth Prevention Strategy expanded into Life is for Everyone (LIFE). LIFE is a world-class suicide and self-harm prevention resource. Dedicated to providing the best available evidence and resources to guide activities aimed at reducing the rate at which people take their lives in Australia, LIFE is specifically designed for people across the community who are involved in suicide and self-harm prevention activities. (Living is for everyone, 2008, p. 7) According to LIFE, suicide, which is determined by the coroner as intentional self-harm, accounts for a large portion of deaths for all young people aged 15-24 despite decreases over the last...
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...Briefly Discuss DSM IV and ICD 10 and list the main categories of clinical disorders. The paper will discuss the main dangers of classification identified as labelling and Stigma which have lifelong implications for those diagnosed with a mental illness. The main advantages of classification such as most appropriate treatment and community education Definition of the Classification system used to Diagnosis Mental illness. As Social workers it important to try and grasp the concepts of how classification of mental illness is arrived at and to have a basic knowledge of the types of mental disorders people can be classified as having so we can understand the basis of a diagnosis. According Mendelson (2001) “Classification refers to ordering of objects into groups on the basis of their relationship. The result is a classificatory system. Nomenclature related to agreed names that have been assigned to disease or syndromes. Taxonomy covers principles and methods underlying the practice of classification. Finally, nosology denotes the conceptual system that supports the strategy of classifying.” ( Mendelson 2001 p. 63) Golightley (2004) text states that classification is an important step towards the diagnosis of a mental disorder. Mental disorder is broken down into various classifications that represent groups or syndromes of symptoms. Thus if a series of symptoms fits into a recognised pattern of behaviour they can be classified as for example, schizophrenia and a diagnosis...
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...availability and lower levels of mental and physical health. Developing a domain with fortress from mental and physical abuse as well as offering possibilities for self-awareness is all indispensable for expanded and euphoric lives of Indigenous peoples. There...
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...Dudgeon & Milroy, 2013). Their life has been changed suddenly and has devastating effect on their mental and health well-being. This essay will elaborate the reasons including social and cultural factors contributing significantly higher rate of mental illness and suicidal behaviour and mental health plans that the government has adopted to prevent self-harm and increase mental awareness. There have been a few researches conducted about Aboriginal people’s suicidal behaviour and self-harm. The definition of mental illness has been updated and a few times for the last 50 years on a regular basis (Parker &Milroy, 2014). Mental illness is also known as mental health disorder and it is very common in Australia. Mental disorders as defined by WHO (2016) is “comprise a broad range of problems, with different symptoms. However they are generally characterized by some combination of abnormal thoughts, emotions, behaviour and relationship with others. Examples are schizophrenia, depression, intellectual disabilities and disorders due to drug abuse.” Almost relatively half of the population in Australia suffered affective or substance use disorder and anxiety between the age from 16 to 85 in some stage of their life (The Department of Health, 2014). According to Australian government (2013), 7% of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people hospitalised due to mental health condition. The leading cause of hospitalisation was schizophrenia, alcohol addiction and severe stress...
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...“…The right of persons to seek asylum from persecution” (UNHCR; 1967) is recognised by the United Nations Convention. Asylum seekers are known as persons who have fled their own country seeking protecting in fear for their life. Consequently, such persons often illegally arrive and enter countries such as Australia without valid visas. However, as part of the Human Rights signatory, Australia owes an international obligation towards all refugees and asylum seekers to “protect [their] human rights…” (Human Rights Commission (HRC)) as long as they are in Australian territory. Nevertheless, it has been continuously reported by the United Nations that Australia, through its detainment and treatment of refugees in detention centres, has penalised...
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... There are calls for more funding to be put into the mental health system. Mental health advocates fear more lives will be lost if more support is not given to the sector. Transcript LEIGH SALES: The battle over scarce government dollars is in its final weeks ahead of the Federal Budget on May 10th. The Cabinet met today to discuss what's in and out and tomorrow night, the Prime Minister will set out her framework for what's already being sold as a tough budget. Mental health advocates are concerned that promises to support their sector might not materialise. They say more lives will be lost unless billions of dollars in extra funding goes to mental health. Michelle Ainsworth reports from Canberra. DR ELIZABETH SCOTT, CLINICAL PSYCHIATRIST: I think the mental health system in Australia at the moment is really at a crisis point. PAULA KNOWLES, MOTHER: It is a parent's worst nightmare. PROF. IAN HICKIE, BRAIN & MIND RESEARCH INSTITUTE: We know what to do, largely when to do it, but our shambolic system fails to deliver that for people in the greatest need. BRONTE O'BRIEN: Life was incredibly confusing and incredibly overwhelming and I found myself trying to mask my feelings through using drugs. KEVIN RUDD, FORMER PRIME MINISTER: We need as a nation to live our game. JULIA GILLARD, PRIME MINISTER: I want to be absolutely clear about this. Mental health will be a second term priority for the Government. ...
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...Aboriginals and Torres Strait Islanders | April 3 2016 | | | Introduction Australian Aboriginals and Torres Strait Islanders are one the oldest communities of the Australia. About sixty-eight percent of Aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders live in the urban area of Australia like Queensland and New South Wales. Rest of the population resides in the remote areas of Australia. The recent surveys show that the population of aborigines and Torres Strait Islander are having a serious health issue of increasing mental illness (Busfield, 2012). Also, the rate of suicide is getting high amongst them. These people have a traditional view towards their health; they don’t just associate it with a person, but with the whole community and spiritual, social and emotional well-being of the whole community. The Australian Government and the health department are working hard to overcome the problem of mental disorder and high rate of suicide amongst the Aboriginals and Torres Strait Islanders (Whitlock, Wyman & Moore, 2014). Factors that are associated with mental disorder and suicide When a person is socially and emotionally unwell, and there is a remarkable change of behavior and thinking it is known as mental illness. According to a health survey in 2008, about thirty-one percent of Aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders aged above fifteen years were suffering from psychological distress of high level. Which was twice in comparison to non-aboriginals. This survey measured...
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...INTRODUCTION It is obvious that we are faced with an aging population. Within three decades individuals aged 65 years or older are expected to make up 23% of the Australian population (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2013). This is a stable increase from 13% in 2007, emphasising Australia as an aging country (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2013). This is evident not only within the demographic regions of metropolitan and rural cities and towns of Australia but also among other countries in the world. It is with this discrepancy that presents such a large challenge within the population and from a health perspective. This essay will explore the social, cultural and psychological health related issues linked with growth in the aging population and will focus on the baby boomer generation and the co-morbidities that are notably prevalent in the elderly. This essay will also consider the future role of the nurse and how their profession will be impacted in response to these trends. WHY DO WE FACE AN AGING CRISIS? As fertility rates decline and longevity increases we are coming to face a shift in population distribution with a greater proportion of older adults (Anderson and Hussey, 2013). It is important to note that this increase is due particularly to the Baby Boomer generation growing older and associated aging co-morbidities on the rise. The Baby Boomer generation consists of those born from the years 1945-1964 (Berman et al., 2012). As this generation grows older...
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...Impact the Perception of Mental Illness in China and Australia. Mental Illness is depicted as an individual’s tendency to exhibit emotions, thoughts and behaviours that do not coincide with what are considered to be the societal norms (Manderscheid et al., 2010). Moreover, throughout history the perception has been that those with mental illnesses should be categorised as dangerous and unstable individuals. Undoubtedly, due to the negative connotations associated with these phrases, society has ignited a severe stigma leading to the “devaluing, disgracing, and disfavouring by the general public”(Abdullah & Brown, 2011) of individuals with these conditions. Although, this has been a long standing prominent issue all around...
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...describe the role of Carers in Australia. Carer is a friend, neighbour, relative who will look after other person (someone who has disability, frail and aged care people). Mother is a carer for her children, children are carers for their parents, support worker is a carer for someone with disability etc. Carer is also a qualified paid worker with an expertise in health care needs of people with illness, disability and frail aged (the correct name for these people is support worker and they are employed by organisations that provides services). People become carers for different reasons. No two caring situations are the same. Carers are from diversity and circumstances. There is no rules about who can become a carer nor about what a carer is expected to do. There is no rule for an appropriate age of the carer. Carers don't chose to become carers it just happens and they have to get on with it. The role of carer range from helping with domestic duties, shopping assistance, paying bills at Australia Post to more complex duties such as helping with personal care for client who is hoisted or assisting client with daily bowel care program. The variety of the job and associated responsibilities are wide, everyday is different. In summary, carers play a vital role in our community, and we- people should get to know more about them as well as show appreciation if possible as they really deserve it. 2. Identify available resources for Carers in Australia – Include a copy of the resource...
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...influences an individual’s perception of illness and health.” 1000 wrds There are many definitions for 'culture' with the anthropologist Sir Edward Tylor (1871) cited by Ravalico (2006) defining it to mean 'that complex whole which includes knowledge, belief, art, morals, law, custom and any other capabilities and habits acquired by a member of society.' Culture also influences how one perceives their health and the idea of what it means to have ‘good health.’ One community group whose culture strongly impacts on individual’s perception of illness and health is the Australian Aboriginal community. Aboriginal Australians have a shorter life expectancy than others (ABS 2008, Shaouli et al 2011) which threatens Aboriginal culture as ‘elders’are the transmitters of Aboriginal culture. Aboriginal people experience worse health and more disease with the latter being three times more than that for the total Australian population (NATSIS 2008 cited by ABS 2008). Culture is one of the many social determinants of health and affects health (Carson, Dunbar, Chenhall and Bailie, 2007). Some indigenous people are fatalistic about their health (Thackrah and Scott 2011) although most can access medical help when needed providing they trusted their medical practitioners (ABS 2008, DATSIPD 2009). Other obstacles include language, lack of public transport and telecommunications (Shaouli et al 2011). Therefore, the impact of culture on individuals’ health is crucial to investigate as Aboriginal culture...
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...Australian Health Care system is a continuous process and the system change will affect all consumers from all background as well all health professional. Rural and remote areas health care: The shortage of healthcare professionals in rural communities is a global problem that poses a serious challenge to equitable healthcare delivery. In Australia rural areas are underdeveloped in most of these areas (rural and remote areas). About one-third 32 per cent of Australians live in rural and remote areas 29 per cent in regional areas and 3 per cent in remote areas (AIHW, 2008a). Persons in rural communities can suffer more chronic health due to the lack of health care services in rural areas. My review discusses an overview of and the lack of services within these communities. As stated in the a discussion papers on Primary Health Care (www.health.gov.au), geographical location accessibility to and availability of appropriate health services and rural and remote environments including socioeconomic status, lifestyles, and are undoubtedly the hallmark characteristics of rural and remote Australia. The lack of distance and transport are major problems to accessing health care for many rural Australians. Health care systems servicing the needs of rural and remote Australians cannot be seen apart from the transport system that either takes services to the people or brings patients to those services. Health transport may be required at different points within the health care system...
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