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Mental health reform: increased resources but limited gains

Nicola J Reavley and Anthony F Jorm
Med J Aust 2014; 201 (7): . || doi: 10.5694/mja13.00198
Published online: 6 October 2014

Improved population-level prevention and service access is needed

The National Mental Health Report1 is the prime vehicle for monitoring the mental health system reform agenda outlined in the Australian Government's National Mental Health Strategy. We consider here what the 2013 report tells us about the progress of that agenda.


  • Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, University of Melbourne, Melbourne.


Correspondence: nreavley@unimelb.edu.au

Acknowledgements: 

We receive salary support from the National Health and Medical Research Council.

Competing interests:

No relevant disclosures.

  • 1. Department of Health and Ageing. National mental health report 2013: tracking progress of mental health reform in Australia, 1993-2011. Canberra: Commonwealth of Australia, 2013. http://www.health.gov.au/internet/publications/publishing.nsf/Content/mental-pubs-n-report13-toc (accessed Jul 2014).
  • 2. Australian Bureau of Statistics. Suicides, Australia, 2010. Canberra: ABS, 2012. (ABS Cat. No. 3309.0.) http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/Products/3309.0~2010~Chapter~Suicide+in+Australia (accessed Jul 2014).
  • 3. Reavley NJ, Jorm AF. Public recognition of mental disorders and beliefs about treatment: changes in Australia over 16 years. Br J Psychiatry 2012; 200: 419-425.
  • 4. Australian Bureau of Statistics. Mental health and wellbeing: profile of adults, Australia, 1997. Canberra: ABS, 1998. (ABS Cat. No. 4326.0.) http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/ProductsbyReleaseDate/D5A0AC778746378FCA2574EA00122887 (accessed Jul 2014).
  • 5. Slade T, Johnston A, Oakley Browne MA, et al. 2007 National Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing: methods and key findings. Aust N Z J Psychiatry 2009; 43: 594-605.
  • 6. Jorm AF, Christensen H, Griffiths KM. The impact of beyondblue: the national depression initiative on the Australian public's recognition of depression and beliefs about treatments. Aust N Z J Psychiatry 2005; 39: 248-254.
  • 7. MindMatters Evaluation Consortium. National Mental Health in Schools Project. MindMatters Evaluation Project. Evaluation Report. Newcastle: Hunter Institute of Mental Health, 2000.
  • 8. Jacka FN, Reavley NJ, Jorm AF, et al. Prevention of common mental disorders: what can we learn from those who have gone before and where do we go next? Aust N Z J Psychiatry 2013; 47: 920-929.

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