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https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2021/apr/19/like-hunting-for-unicorns-australians-on-the-search-for-adequate-affordable-mental-healthcare>
"Many Australians experience the country’s mental health system as inadequate,
dangerous and financially punishing, saying they often feel unsafe in
hospitals, are dismissed by health professionals and are hit with prohibitive
costs that government subsidies do not come close to covering.
And practitioners in turn have spoken of burnout and their frustration with
misplaced funding, inadequate quick fixes, overmedication of patients and
inconsistencies and duplication in the system, while acknowledging that many
seeking help find the system “deeply traumatic”.
Many who responded to Guardian Australia’s call-out asking readers to share
experiences of the mental health system are the face of the “missing middle”, a
term often used in reports and inquiries aimed at assessing the gaps in the
mental health system.
The Orygen youth mental health service in Victoria says the “missing middle”
refers to those who “are often too unwell for primary care but not unwell
enough for state-based services”. In other words, their care is too complex for
a GP but not severe enough for admission to hospital.
So where do these people go? Some readers told us they had opted out of the
system altogether, instead attempting to self-medicate and relying on support
from family and friends. Others fell into unemployment and more severe illness.
Some reported eventually finding helpful treatment from psychologists and
psychiatrists after many years and at great expense."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
