In Australia, health is an industry in which some services are delivered publicly and some are delivered privately. The mix of public and private services is dependent on a range of factors including consumer choice and availability of resources.
In relation to mental health, governments in each Australia state and territory manage specialised public mental health services. The private sector comprises the range of treatment and care that was, up until 2007, largely provided by psychiatrists in office–based private practice, and those inpatient and day only services provided by private hospitals. Private sector services now also include those provided in general hospital settings and services provided by general practitioners, psychologists, mental health nurses, and other allied health professionals. Well over half of all Australians with a mental health problem have, at some stage during their illness, received treatment and care in the private sector. The interrelationship between the sectors means that changes in policy in the public or private sector can have significant impact on other parts of the mental health system.
The key national reports that contribute to comprehensive information about mental health service provision in Australia are set out below.
National Mental Health Report
The National Mental Health Report is the principal report for monitoring progress of mental health reform in Australia and presents an analysis of reform against specified indicators. The Australian Government's Department of Health and Ageing (DoHA) produces this report. Copies are available from and the DoHA website at: www.health.gov.au
Mental Health Services in Australia
Mental Health Services in Australia (or MHSIA) presents detailed source descriptive data on the activity of mental health services, primarily based on annual National Minimum Data Sets (NMDS). It also includes descriptive information on activities of services operating beyond the health sector of relevance to mental health. The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AHIW) produces this report. Copies are available from the AHIW website at: www.aihw.gov.au
Council of Australian Governments (COAG) Action Plan on Mental Health 2006–2011
Annual Progress Reports
The COAG Annual Report serves as the key accountability instrument for the Action Plan. It summarises progress in the implementation of the Action Plan and provides available data on outcomes, but does not include the broad statistical data contained in the NMHR or MHSIA. Copies of these reports are available from the COAG website at: www.coag.gov.au
Private Mental Health Alliance Centralised Data Management Service
Annual Statistical Report
The Annual Statistical Reports on Private Hospital-based Psychiatric Services are produced by the PMHA's Centralised Data Management Service (CDMS) based on data submitted by private hospitals with psychiatric beds that participate in the PMHA's CDMS. The Reports are produced by the PMHA's CDMS each year, as part of the PMHA's ongoing commitment toward improving the quality, reliability, and use of information on private sector mental health services. Copies are located on this website on the Statistics page.