A new report by the Social Health Foundation calls for a national response to Australia’s mental health crisis as loneliness, social media overuse and cost of living pressures continue to impact Australia’s gen Z and millennials.
“It’s an invisible and silent epidemic in Australia that we need to take action on,” said Glenys Reid, founder Chatty Cafe Australia on the report findings.
The report highlights social connections as the quiet frontline of our mental health system – and calls for public policy to recognise the role hidden health care workers play in preventing mental health challenges.
Dr Pramudie Gunaratne, chair of the NSW branch of the Royal Australian & New Zealand College of Psychiatrists, also commented on the report.
“Social connection is required all the time. It doesn’t matter if it’s prevention or early intervention, having that glue that holds people together is essential,” Dr Pramudie Gunaratne said.
“Connection is prevention. Let’s stop talking about the mental health system like it begins at crisis. Let’s build the infrastructure that makes it possible, and let’s build it together,” said Melanie Wilde, Foundation for Social Health CEO.
Read this article by SBS News covering the report findings:
A copy of the report is available on the Foundation for Social Health website: https://www.foundationforsocialhealth.org.au/articles/connectionisprevention
