More Australians live with mental ill-health than any other chronic condition. Unsurprisingly, mental health disorders account for a substantial portion of the total burden of disease in Australia, on par with musculoskeletal and cardiovascular diseases.
Given this, the full contribution our psychology workforce makes to the mental health and wellbeing of Australian communities through prevention, early intervention and treatment programs should not be underestimated.
All Australians should be able to access expert psychological support to ensure their mental health and wellbeing needs are met. This is more important now than ever.
World Mental Health Day, 10 October 2023, is an opportunity for people and communities to unite behind the theme ‘Mental health is a universal human right” to improve knowledge, raise awareness and drive actions that promote and protect everyone’s mental health as a universal human right.
Mental health is a universal human right – APS advocacy
The APS advocates for measures which directly support the wellbeing of each member of the Australian community, as well as the resilience of the psychology workforce. At a time marked by growing economic, social and health challenges, this advocacy is crucial.
