Primary Health Care in the Mental Health Workplace: Insights from the Australian Experience

Abstract

In Australia, Primary Health Care and the mental health sector have always shared a philosophy. In 1978, Primary Health Care was first put forward as a strategy to improve "health for all." Recently, the Australian Government included mental health as a national health priority, identifying six strategies consistent with a Primary Health Care approach to address the mental health of all Australians. Throughout this time, Primary Health Care has been highlighted in all models of care. However, in reality, it appears that in mental health services, mental health nurses, despite good intentions, are not delivering care in a planned or systematised way and that much needs to be done to further improve the situation for individuals accessing the health care system. Services currently focus on those identified as seriously mentally unwell; in order to really make an impact it is argued that services should be broader, offered to the population at large and, further, that the emphasis on case work at an individual level should be changed to an approach that considers prevention, maintenance, and follow-up as well as crisis intervention. This article reflects the Australian experience and offers some insights from that experience.

Service and infrastructure needs to support recovery programmes for Indigenous community mental health consumers

“…The findings from the present study highlight the need for integrated, population‐based models of care and services to deliver effective mental health services (Cleary et al . ) and address the socio‐economic determinants of health impacting Indigenous populations. Study participants focussed on providing client‐centred support, underpinned by their capacity to build and maintain effective client relationships, so that individuals could maximize their potential, be empowered to take control of their lives, and in doing so, determine their future.…”

“…Existing systems, processes, and inequities in service provision across rural areas mitigate these outcomes being achieved for all clients. As Cleary et al (2015) concede, the current emphasis on medication administration, stability, and responding to situations, adopted by some programmes, results in low expectations of service providers regarding client outcomes, as opposed to a recovery-orientated service. Similarly, communication between mental health service providers in rural areas is complicated by misunderstandings of increasingly complex technology and legislative obligations (Burmeister et al 2015).…”

Utilization of a Cardiometabolic Health Nurse – a Novel Strategy to Manage Comorbid Physical and Mental Illness

“…It is disappointing, however, that data pertaining to follow-up were only available from a small number of consumer files. This highlights the complex care needs of mental health consumers and underpins the need for coordinated, multidisciplinary healthcare teams [ 34 , 35 ]. This is particularly important for the 85% of our cohort with risk factors for, or diagnosis of, comorbid chronic health conditions.…”

Increased Mental Illness and the Challenges This Brings for District Nurses in Primary Care Settings

“…These contacts are commonly made via telephone, and the calls are answered by RNs. PHC providers are regarded as the proper provider of mental healthcare (Cleary et al, 2014;Luoma, Martin, & Pearson, 2002). However, patients with depressive problems have expressed concern about PHC providers' ability to meet their mental health needs (Kravitz et al, 2011).…”