Australia’s Mental Health Crisis
Very recently, I was overjoyed to be a part of the “Counsellors Care” campaign for the Australian Counselling Association, raising the profile of counsellors and asking to be better considered by the Australian government as part of the solution to the mental health crisis that’s currently impacting Australia.
Assisting people with their mental health, especially those who live in rural and regional areas is something I’m passionate about and often there’s not a lot of support in these regions. Prices are high, psychologists are booked out or are only available in affluent and metropolitan areas, and there is often a gap-fee that is still unaffordable for people to pay.
I was happy to have my personal story featured in the Courier Mail (see link below, there is a paywall however so I’ve copied the bit that features me below).
Karyna Jansons, from the Sunshine Coast, started suffering from severe panic attacks, debilitating anxiety and depression at the age of 24 due to two sexual assaults, a car accident, job stress, unstable housing and other concerns.
“I had to wait to see a psychologist and it’s expensive. I wish I had known that I could more quickly have gained access to a counsellor to help me. I hope their services are added to the MBS as it seems a good solution to easing this mental health pandemic,” she said.
And here are some other facts from the article (Queensland specific)
• 67 per cent of Queenslanders experienced depression, anxiety in last two years
• 22 per cent of those have experienced this more than once
• 15 per cent turned to drugs or alcohol to help cope
• 18 per cent could not afford professional help
• 32 per cent had up to a six-week wait to see a professional
I was very happy to share my personal story to help highlight the need for public awareness that we need broader mental health care in Australia, and that counsellors are a life-raft.
When I was 24 and going through the muck of depression and anxiety, I lived in a remote town in the Northern Territory and I was not given many options when I went to seek help. Firstly, the wait times were long and the choice of professionals in my area were limited. Secondly, the cost was expensive. Even with a mental health care plan (another blog on this soon), there was a gap fee and that wasn’t cheap either, which at the time I struggled to afford.
And over time, as I healed and became a qualified and registered counsellor myself, the issue of access, affordability and public knowledge of counsellors as an option for mental health concerns is still here. And yet, the mental health crisis also seems to be getting worse.
I am hopeful that someday soon, counsellors like myself will be able to offer rebated sessions under Medicare, or even be bulk-billed. That way, everyone can get the care they need when they most need it.
If you’d like to help, please sign the Counsellor’s Care petition here:
Karyna Jansons is a registered counsellor in Australia and now has made it her life’s purpose to help others. She offers counselling sessions, Australia-wide via online or Face to Face. You can check out more about her here, including signing up to her email list for more handy tips and tricks on mental health.
