• Mental Health (with a focus on depression) was chosen (along with cardiovascular health, cancer control and injury prevention and control) to be a National Health Priority Area in 1993
• The Victorian Burden of Disease studies have shown that mental illness is responsible for about one-seventh of the total disease burden, only 7% of which is due to mortality (the remainder due to many years lived with disability)
• In men, depression is the 7th leading cause of overall burden (while alcohol and drug use disorders are ranked 13th and 15th respectively)
• In women, depression is ranked 5th overall (with generalised anxiety disorder and alcohol use disorder 12th and 17th respectively)

Links with public health

1. Mental health promotion, prevention and early intervention

• In July 1998, all Australian Health Ministers endorsed the Second National Mental Health Plan and a National Action Plan for Promotion, Prevention and Early Intervention for Mental Health was produced in 2000

• Health Promotion and intervention activity in the mental health sector has traditionally focused on secondary interventions i.e. post-diagnosis or early detection rather than prevention

• Public health, on the other hand, has focused on upstream strategies to support whole of population approaches

• Public health has a legitimate involvement in mental health and well-being issues focused on primary prevention and early intervention although we are not involved in the direct provision of mental health services

• For example, the role of physical activity in mental health prevention is acknowledged in the National Strategy and should be included in the mental health prevention plan for Victoria (both for the general population and for those at risk of, or experiencing mental ill health)

2. Mental health as a co-morbidity

• Poor mental health can be a risk factor for chronic disease; poor mental health can also be a consequence of chronic disease

• In many instances the physical disease becomes the focus and the mental health of a patient, or of the target population in general, is not examined or accounted for

3. Partnerships and collaborative effort

• Effective action to promote mental health, prevent the development of mental health problems, and intervene early in mental disorders requires co-operation, commitment and partnerships that reach well beyond mental health services

• In examining the actions identified within the National Action Plan it is clear that within DHS, Mental Health, Public Health, Primary Care and Aged Care some of the program areas which have the potential to make a significant contribution to the Victorian response to Mental Health as a National Health Priority Area

Reference

National Mental Health Plan 2003-2008 (Australian Health Ministers, July 2003)