Group advocating for mental health reform launches in Geelong

A COMMUNITY-LED organisation advocating for substantial reform to Australia’s mental healthcare system has established its first local chapter in Geelong.

Established in 2014, Australians for Mental Health (AfMH) is working to build a broad-based alliance of organisations who support its goal of fundamentally transforming the way the nation thinks and acts on mental health.

Geelong Chapter community organiser Clare Johnston said the group’s initiation was motivated by the region’s startling mental health statistics that sit above both the national and state averages.

She pointed to the 2021 Census which shows that 11.1 per cent of the Greater Geelong population are living with a long-term mental health condition, higher than both the national and state, which sits at 8.8 per cent.

The rate of suicide for men is also higher than the national and state average in Geelong, with data from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare finding the age-standardised rate of suicide per 100,000 people, between 2018-2022, was 21.1, higher than the national figure of 18.8.

Ms Johnston said these figures highlight the mental health emergency the region is facing, a situation AfMH’s Geelong Chapter is seeking to change.

“The way that we aim to change and effect [and] hopefully improve the way that mental health is addressed, is by a grassroots connected community and that can only be done at the local level.

“Mental health is something that touches everybody, regardless of their suburb or postcode or income status.

“We need to approach this as our whole community, not segments of us.”

She said the group was now seeking to connect with other likeminded individuals within the community interested in joining the chapter, or supporting its work in whatever capacity they have, and is working towards organising initiatives that will allow it to connect with the broader community to learn about their experiences with mental health and the support services available.

The information gathered will inform the group’s initial advocacy efforts.

“I’d love to hear from anyone else that wants to have the chat and see how we [can] work together to improve mental health in Geelong,” she said.

“With these really big, broad problems that we have, across Australia…the best solution comes from the people.

“The only way we’re going to address our current mental health crisis is together. There’s no other way to do it, and this is our chance.”

For more information, head to afmh.org.au or email [email protected]