Bondi Junction response must include increased funding and support for severe mental illness

Australia, Thu, 10/10/2024 - 09:00

Voters want pre-election commitments for severe mental illness

WMHD-Canberra — Tony Stevenson, CEO of Mental Illness Fellowship of Australia.

The Federal Government should increase support for people with severe and complex mental illness to reduce the risk of a repeat of the attack that killed six people in a Bondi Junction shopping centre, according to a poll released six months following the tragic event.

Unveiled in Parliament House to mark World Mental Health Day, the nationwide poll found that when asked how they would like the Federal Government to respond to the Bondi Junction attack, 84% of respondents backed “increased funding and services to support people living with severe mental illness to reduce the risk of similar events happening again”.¹

The YouGov poll of 1,619 Australian citizens also revealed overwhelming support for major political parties releasing plans to address severe mental illness ahead of the upcoming federal election (85% agreement), and the next Federal Government making this a health priority (83% agreement).¹

Commissioned by Mental Illness Fellowship of Australia (MIFA), Psychosis Australia and Boehringer Ingelheim, the poll found that 74% of respondents felt events of the past year had made them more aware of the impact of severe and complex mental illnesses¹ such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and major depressive disorder.

“The events of 13 April in Bondi Junction illustrate the very worst-case when a person with severe and complex mental health illness is untreated and unsupported in the community,” said Rob Ramjan AM, Chair of Psychosis Australia.

“It is encouraging that, following this tragic incident, there is a clear shift in community attitudes and understanding of the need for better care of people living with severe and complex mental illness. It’s crucial to acknowledge that people living with severe and complex mental illness are more often victims of violence than perpetrators,³” he said.

Most respondents to the poll agreed that people living with severe mental illness (86%), as well as families and carers of people with severe mental illness (89%), deserve more support from the Federal Government.

More than eight-in-ten respondents (81%) agreed that severe mental illness is no less deserving of government funding than other diseases.¹

“The findings suggest that Australian voters are eager for political parties to make clear commitments in support of people impacted by severe and complex mental illness,” said Tony Stevenson, CEO of Mental Illness Fellowship of Australia.

“As a federal election approaches, our goal is to engage with all sides of politics to ensure severe and complex mental health is never again placed in the too hard basket,” he said.

The poll also found that 45% of respondents know someone living with severe mental illness.¹

“It’s important to acknowledge the size of the issue and enormity of the challenge. Approximately 880,000 Australians are now living with a severe and complex mental illness,”² said Dirk Otto, General Manager of Boehringer Ingelheim Australia, a biopharmaceutical company researching first-in-class medicines for a range of mental illnesses.

“As important as our research and development efforts are, the work of groups like MIFA and Psychosis Australia to improve the day-to-day lives of people with severe mental illness is crucial,” he said.

“Boehringer is aligned with MIFA and Psychosis Australia in understanding that people living with severe and complex mental illness need access to a combination of treatments, which may include new medicines that target specific symptoms, behavioural therapies, and – critically – psychosocial supports,” he said.

“We hope we can play a part in ensuring these complex diseases are also prioritised in the community and by government.”

The YouGov poll was conducted in September 2024 among a nationally representative sample of 1,619 Australian citizens.

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About Psychosis Australia

Psychosis Australia aims to transform the research landscape to improve the lives of people living with psychosis, working collaboratively with all stakeholders. We believe that meaningful reform in the mental health sector should be guided by research that resonates with those affected by psychosis. Mental health disorders rank third, following heart disease and cancer, as leading causes of illness in Australia. However, they are the largest contributors to disability, accounting for nearly 30% of the impact from non-fatal diseases.

About Mental Illness Fellowship of Australia (MIFA)

MIFA is dedicated to understanding the needs and challenges faced by people affected by severe and complex mental ill health. Through advocacy and collaboration, we strive to drive positive change and create opportunities for everyone to access the support they need to thrive. MIFA and its members are committed to amplifying the voices of those with lived experience and advocating for policy changes, so that every Australian can receive the best possible mental health care and enjoy an improved quality of life.

About Boehringer Ingelheim in Mental Health

At Boehringer Ingelheim, we aspire to provide mental health treatment approaches that places an individual’s specific needs at the centre. Our efforts go beyond pharmacologic interventions because we recognise that the needs of people living with mental health conditions are complex and highly individualised. We believe the future of care for people with mental illnesses will often involve a combination of treatment modalities that could include pharmacotherapies, behavioural therapies, psychosocial interventions, community support, and prescription digital therapeutics, to achieve more integrated and tailored solutions that enable better outcomes.

^References:
^{1. YouGov. Severe Mental Health Poll. September 2024.}
^2.^{SANE Australia.}^{About Us}^{. Available at}^{www.sane.org/about-sane}
^3.^{Teplin LA, McClelland GM, Abram KM, Weiner DA.}^{Crime Victimization in Adults With Severe Mental Illness: Comparison With the National Crime}
^{Victimization Survey. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 2005;62(8):911–921. doi:10.1001/archpsyc.62.8.911}