Message from the Chair

Hello from the General Practice Mental Health Standards Collaboration (GPMHSC), and welcome to the spring edition of our newsletter.

The voice referendum

On October 14, Australia voted on the Voice to Parliament. This was an important moment for Australia and reminds us not only of the mental health disadvantages that our Indigenous population face, but the importance of culturally appropriate care. Mental health statistics reveal a concerning trend of higher rates of mental health issues, including depression, anxiety, and suicide, among Australia's Indigenous communities. GPs play a critical role in delivering healthcare that acknowledges and values the unique needs of Indigenous patients, and the GPMHSC encourages all GPs to complete cultural competency training to ensure they are tailoring their care appropriately.

National Mental Health Workforce strategy 2022–2032 released

The National Mental Health Workforce strategy 2022–2032 was released on Tuesday 10 October. The strategy outlined that in order to support the mental health needs of Australians we need a larger skilled workforce operating in our mental health system. The strategy highlighted several challenges that may be faced when growing this workforce including occupational shortages, negative perceptions of mental health, limited collaboration and uneven workforce distribution in rural and remote areas. The strategy proposes to attract, train, maximise, support and ultimately retain new mental health workers, while supporting and building on the strengths of the existing workforce. The GPMHSC looks forward to seeing the role that GPs will play in the implementation of this strategy.

Assoc Prof Morton Rawlin
Chair, GPMHSC