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Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Agreement Review Interim Report

Overview

The Productivity Commission's interim review finds Australia's National Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Agreement has failed to deliver meaningful system reform. Despite some progress on outputs, mental health outcomes haven't improved, suicide rates remain unchanged, and the system remains fragmented. A new agreement with stronger accountability is needed.

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Key insights

Key Insights:

  1. Agreement lacks clear accountability mechanisms and measurable outcomes for governments

  2. Mental health system remains fragmented despite coordination commitments and funding

  3. 500,000 people lack psychosocial supports outside the National Disability Insurance Scheme

  4. Lived experience voices were excluded from agreement design and governance

  5. Only 3% of mental health spending flows through this agreement

  6. National Suicide Prevention Office established but suicide rates unchanged

  7. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander suicide rates worsening significantly

  8. Current agreement should extend to 2027 for proper co-design process

Did this resource draw on transformative evidence?

<p>This document heavily incorporated experiential expertise. The PC conducted extensive consultation with people with lived and living experience of mental ill health and suicide, including 293 survey responses, 94 submissions, and 72 meetings. However, the report criticizes that the original Agreement itself excluded experiential voices from its design.</p>
<p>This document extensively incorporated practice wisdom. The PC consulted with service providers, practitioners, peer workers, primary health networks, hospitals, mental health commissions, and peak bodies across all states and territories. Survey responses included 70 workers/volunteers in mental health services, providing frontline insights into system gaps and challenges.</p>
<p>This document incorporated research and evaluation insights. The PC analysed existing data collections, performance indicators, evaluation reports of funded programs (like Medicare Mental Health Centres), academic literature, and policy documents. However, it highlighted significant data gaps, delayed reporting, and insufficient evaluation of Agreement outcomes as major limitations.</p>

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Engagement & Participation Tool