Mental Health and a Mature Society: Who Cares?

Abstract

Community responsibility for mental health remains ambiguous. Despite welcome reform of State and Territory 'mental health systems', the majority of Australia's effort - in dollar and personnel terms - is directed to 'serious mental illness' and chronic psychiatric disability. Positive mental health, in the sense of the capacity to lead satisfyingly balanced, productive and resilient lives, is poorly studied and attracts little policy comment. This paper addresses some of the fundamental characteristics of a mature, caring society. These are contrasted with examples of current policies that perpetuate tendencies to 'blame the victim'. For as long as mental health is merely a construct of the health (read 'ilth') system, with funding skewed towards clinical crisis intervention, progress will be measured only in terms of the control or management of mental illness. What is proposed is reorientation of our ways of thinking about 'mental health' policies and service systems. Australians deserve a collaborative, coherent, comprehensive and caring mental health system. Such a system is described, through positive examples of models being adopted in some Aboriginal communities. Recommendations are made for practical initiatives at the local community level.