{"id":3726,"date":"2022-09-28T04:08:23","date_gmt":"2022-09-28T04:08:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/limelightpeople.com.au\/health\/?p=3726"},"modified":"2022-09-28T04:08:24","modified_gmt":"2022-09-28T04:08:24","slug":"multidisciplinary-approach-mental-health","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/limelightpeople.com.au\/health\/2022\/09\/28\/multidisciplinary-approach-mental-health\/","title":{"rendered":"Taking a multidisciplinary approach to support Australian mental health"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

In the wake of R U OK day and with October being National Mental Health Month<\/a>, I\u2019m reminded of the need to rethink our society\u2019s approach to tackling mental health. And, it all starts with multidisciplinary teamwork.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Australia is an advancing society with good access to medical care, meaning that we\u2019re enjoying higher life expectancy rates each year. While this is welcome news, it also means that we have a growing number of older people in our society. The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare<\/a> graph below indicates how the older population will grow over the next 75 years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Australia\u2019s mental health statistics<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

According to the World Health Organization (WHO)<\/a>, mental health and wellbeing is a key component of overall health and wellbeing. WHO defines mental health as \u2018a state of wellbeing that enables people to cope with the stresses of life, realise their abilities, learn well and work well, and contribute to their community.\u2019 Mental health is crucial to personal, community and socio-economic development.\u00a0

The National Study of Mental Health and Wellbeing conducted in 2021<\/a> by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) found that an estimated 1 in 5 (21.4%) Australians aged 16\u201385 experienced a mental disorder in the previous 12 months. This includes a range of illnesses including anxiety disorders, affective disorders, psychotic disorders and substance use disorders. However, a person does not need to meet the criteria for a mental illness or mental disorder to be negatively affected by their mental health \u2013 it also impacts their families and carers. Therefore, the true toll of mental health on our community is underreported.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Mental health is not just a young person\u2019s problem<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s commonly thought that young adults and adolescents are the most common age group to face mental health issues. However, we now know that many older people experience mental disorders. Despite growing awareness of the debilitating effects of mental illness on a person\u2019s day-to-day functioning and independence, adults aged 65 years and over continue to under-utilise mental health services compared to younger adults. This has also led to underreporting of mental disorders in older age groups, as shown in the latest ABS data below.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

As our population ages, providing appropriate and effective mental healthcare for older Australians needs a special focus. Research published by The Australian Institute of Family Studies<\/a> has identified a range of factors that may act as barriers to appropriate mental healthcare for older adults, including:<\/p>\n\n\n\n