The National Cabinet has agreed to a nationwide mental health and wellbeing pandemic plan to help people during the coronavirus crisis, as well as the resumption of all elective surgeries in some jurisdictions.
The Federal Government announced an extra $48.1 million for the mental health plan, which will provide a nationally consistent approach to mental health service delivery and support.
"Today the Prime Minister, supported by Christine Morgan [from the National Mental Health Commission], took that plan through National Cabinet with unanimous support," Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt said.
Mr Hunt said the plan covered three areas: $7.3 million for research and real-time data, $29.5 million for outreach to vulnerable communities and $11.3 million for communication and other outreach programs.
He said early mental health data from Queensland, Victoria and Tasmania was "more heartening than expected".
"For the first four months, there has been no known increase in suicide rates in those three states," Mr Hunt said.
"We watch very carefully, however, because these things can build up. They can brew. People can dwell.
"We want to get ahead of the curve."
National Health Commission CEO Christine Morgan said the figures were good but it did not mean the Government could be complacent.
"It is heartening to look at those figures and to say, 'it hasn't got worse.' That doesn't mean it couldn't get worse," she said.
"It means that we are OK at the moment, and therefore we need to not only keep doing what we're doing, but make sure we accelerate it and embed it."
Ms Morgan said there had actually been an increase in the number of people engaging with mental health services compared to this time last year, something the national plan took as a positive sign and something to build on.
States to set pace of return of elective surgeries, Prime Minister says
The Prime Minister and National Cabinet had agreed to restart all elective surgeries.
"The boom [gate] is going up on elective surgery all around the country," Scott Morrison said.
"That will be done, of course, at the pace that states set, but that will be welcome, particularly to the private health industry, in particular, and the jobs that are supported throughout that sector."
Chief Medical Officer Brendan Murphy flagged the increases would depend on the pressure on each state's or territory's health system from coronavirus.
"Clearly in those states that are having essentially no cases, they want to go fairly quickly back to full elective activity," he said.
"Those states that still have some transmission are probably going to take it a bit more gently.
"But everybody is now heading towards full elective surgery, which is a really important thing."
Plan will look at social, economic stressors
Ms Morgan said one of the foundations of the plan was that it recognised the diversity of mental health illnesses and issues people were experiencing, and would experience, as a result of the pandemic.
"We need to address that diversity," she said.
"You can't … deal with mental illness without looking at the context in which we all live and the social consequences, so this plan reflects that."
She said the plan would look at "risky behaviours" including gambling, substance abuse and issues around domestic and family violence.
When asked about specific measures for regional and rural Australians, Ms Morgan said the plan would address people in those communities, especially young people.
"We know young people are concerned," she said.
"Our challenge is to make sure that we have open access for them to look for help.
"We will have a communications campaign which will really seek to normalise help-seeking behaviour."
She said connecting with people across the country dealing with mental health issues was "critical".
