MENTAL HEALTH
The true value of care
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Corin Kelly
Professor Allan Fels, Chairman of the National Mental Health Commission, launched ‘The Economic Value of Informal Mental Health Caring in Australia Report’1 (Carer’s Report) at Parliament House in Canberra earlier this year. This is the first time an attempt has been made to put a ‘value’ on informal caring for those with mental illness.
T
he Carer’s Report was commissioned by community mental health service provider Mind Australia (Mind), in collaboration with researchers from the University of Queensland (UQ) school of public health.
would want that to happen but it does show carers need to be supported to continue to provide that role which is a much more costeffective way to have that care delivered, and it’s something that the patients or consumers prefer,” he said.
The economic value of carers
Mind Australia Chief Executive Dr Gerry Naughtin said, “This important report firms up what many of us already knew — that mental health carers carry a heavy load supporting people with mental ill-health.”
Researchers confirm that it would cost governments a staggering $13.2bn annually to offset the unpaid informal care provided by around 240,000 families and friends of people with a mental illness. This is 1.7 times more than Australian governments invest in mental health services each year.
Professor Harvey Whiteford, from the University of Queensland, told The Australian Hospital & Healthcare Bulletin (AHHB) that Mind commissioned this research to understand the size of the population providing caring services in Australia and to look at the types of services provided, how many carers are not being supported and what the replacement cost of family carers would be using an economic model. “The pure economic cost would require a massive commitment from government to replace that care. That’s not meaning that we
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THE AUSTRALIAN HOSPITAL + HEALTHCARE BULLETIN
WINTER 2017
How can carers be better supported?
Professor Whiteford believes strongly that, “Carers need financial assistance and very importantly, to feel they have the support and information they need from the clinician who is treating the mental illness of their friend or family member.” The report highlights the need for carers to feel more included when dealing with the hospital process, particularly when the person they are caring for is being discharged. Judy Burke is a carer and founder of Sanctuary, a support group in South Australia
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