Mental health

This week has been extraordinarily one for Australian documentaries on TV. The most talked about being Andrew Denton’s illuminating doco on mental health, “Angels and Demons”.

For those of us who have fortunately never experienced psychosis or auditory hallucinations this sensitive and thought provoking program may be the closest thing to helping us understand a little of what it would be like. The show introduces many talented individuals living with a wide variety of mental health issues, who share their world with Denton.

ANDREW DENTON: It feels to you as though you live between worlds, is that right?
HEIDI EVERETT: Yeah, yeah. My feet are on this world but my head's in the next world. And I think that's why I was made so tall.
ANDREW DENTON: What's the difference between the two worlds?
HEIDI EVERETT: Um one smells funny; one sounds funny; and like everything's weird about one but the other one's really cool and right, makes sense. Everything's logical to me and yeah.
ANDREW DENTON: So the one where you feet is, feet are sorry, is the one that smells funny and doesn't make sense?
HEIDI EVERETT: Yep. Yeah, takes a lot of working out all the time. You can't just get up and go oh today I do this and da-da-da. It's just like just so much effort that goes into sorting things out just to get up out of bed, yeah.
Angels and Demons

New Zealander ARANA PEARSON, mental health educator and a person living with schizophrenia, leads Denton and a group of health professionals through the experience of being formally assessed and daily life, while hearing voices. Even second-hand this is an extraordinary experience, one of the best I have witnessed on the subject.

Also on the ABC was a documentary on youth homelessness centred around the Savation Army’s youth refuge “The Oasis”. The program of the same name follows the youth workers and some of the adolescents who call The Oasis home over a period of two years. Many of those the centre helps are suffering from mental health illnesses or substance abuse issues and are clearly falling through the cracks of the current system. Most, if not all, the youths interviewed come from highly dysfunctional families – suffering physical and emotional abuse and neglect from an early age. The Oasis accurately portrays the real story of youth homelessness in metropolitan Australia and gives an insight into the individuals behind the statistics.

Viewed together, these two documentaries give us a framework of understanding into the lives of those that the majority of us may cross the road to avoid. If, even briefly, this gives us greater empathy and understanding for others, it has to be a good thing.


“Angels and demons” can be viewed online at the ABC site. A transcript is also available.

The Oasis website contains clips, updates and discussions arising from the program. The full documentary can be viewed online.

Mental Health - getting the care you need

The Federal Government has announced a $3.2 million initiative to ‘educate’ GPs in referral options concerning mental health. The subtext is that 8 months down the track since the Medicare subsidised consultations with psychologists were introduced, the service is proving to be too popular and costly. The popularity of the rebate is interesting considering there has been little publicity, or even encouragement, for this GP referral service since it’s introduction at the beginning of the year.

Although the re-education scheme, in the hope that cheaper mental health services such as consulting a social worker or occupational therapist will be offered in preference, was only announced yesterday - I have for some time had a significant number of clients complain about the difficulty they have had in convincing their GP that they would benefit from seeing a psychologist. One woman was told by her regular doctor that she would need to come back for a long consultation for assessment before she would decide whether seeing a psychologist was justifiable. While this extra consulting may be considered a hidden drain on Medicare, the issue is that the patients often find it confronting to ask for help over mental health issues and this just makes it less likely they will get the help they need. Some doctors however, have given the referral without hesitation.

But equally of concern is the ongoing habit of the majority of GPs to prescribe popular antidepressant drugs at the first sign of depression in a client, without offering a referral of any kind for emotional help. Anecdotally, as reported to me by my clients – this is the most common course of action occurring in Melbourne General Practices.

Although drug therapy may be the cheapest option to the government, in common mental health issues such as exogenous depression it is not often the most effective course of action. In the notoriously underfunded health sector of mental health - $3.2 million could go a long way in appropriately, therapeutically assisting a vast number of patients.

Sometimes finding a psychologist can take a little time to get one who you feel comfortable with – this is no different from finding a good match with a doctor, naturopath or any other health practitioner. But you do have a right to demand the referral, in order to make this service affordable. If you are unhappy with the way you have been treated in this area, consider contacting the Health Services Commissioner in your State.

Links

Victorian Government Mental Health Services index

Health Services Commissioner

The Australian Psychological Society

The Victorian Psychologists Association

Victorian Psychologists Registration Board: find a qualified psychologist in your area
PADA: Panic, Anxiety, Depression Assistance