Australia's mental health crisis persists despite increased spending, according to CIS Senior Fellow Steven Schwartz. Suicide rates remain high, and psychiatric drug use is at record levels.
Despite decades of rising expenditure on mental health, outcomes in Australia have not improved. Suicide rates continue to be high, and the number of Australians diagnosed with mental illness increases annually. The paradox of escalating spending without better results raises concerns about the effectiveness of current mental health care strategies.