According to Beyond Blue, mental health is a state of well being where the individual is unable to cope with life's challenges, such as, working productively either in a group or by yourself, managing normal amounts of stress and being able to function your body probably without the worry of being judged by others.   

Mental health is a common condition that affects approximately 46.4% of adults at some point in their life, according to Mental Health First Aid. In a survey conducted by The Department of Health, it was found that women are more susceptible to mental health conditions, with 22.3% of women being diagnosed yearly compared to 17.6% for men. As you can see more support is needed from local governments to ensure that these people are receiving treatment and theory from mental health professionals.

In 2018, the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare stated that $9.9 Billion was spent on mental health-related issues in Australia, with a further $3.4 Billion being raised by the federal government, $6.0 Billion from the state and territory governments and $544 million from private health insurance funds. As a result, this roughly equates to $400 per person, which is not enough as therapy session can cost in excess of $200 and most people require 2-5 visits with a mental health professional to ensure that their health situation remains stable.

Mental Health can be caused by genetics, addiction to alcohol or drugs, abuse, loss of a loved one, end of relationships and low self-esteem. Due to this, there are a significant number of ways that people can experience mental health problems. Consequently, it’s crucial that there is more support for these people available to give them the ability to find help when wanting to work through their struggles. Additionally, if there is more support then people will feel comfortable talking about their mental health problems which in turn, will contribute to the fact that more Australians will be seeking support from health professionals.

The government should be supporting those who suffer from mental health conditions by reducing the expenses when visiting psychologists, psychiatrists and counsellors. Additionally, if the government did this then more people will be eligible for support which will ultimately create more awareness of the health condition. The government can also provide an informative mental health session for school students by employing people who can educate them on the steps that they can take when wanting to seek support about how they are feeling.

Please sign this petition if you too believe that the government needs to do more for mental health. No one deserves to live with this health condition and not be able to access support.