Assessment Details Each student is to select a specific field of practice from the following practice fields discussed in class: · Children, young people and families · Mental health · Aboriginal and...

Question 1: Briefly describe the history and cu
ent context of the issue you have selected. (540 words)
Mental health has been an issue with communities since earlier times. It wasn’t recognized as an issue, formally until later though. Earlier on, it was considered possession and witchcraft and so on. With regards to Australia, mental health has been an issue to manage since the a
ival of the very first fleet in 1788. Convicts who a
ived and considered ‘insane’ were locked up. Australia’s first psychiatric facility was founded in 1811. Earlier on, people with mental conditions were placed in the same place as convicts. A psychiatric facility separated and identified the mentally ill as a separate group from convicts.
With the release of the Richmond report in 1992, mental health was deinstitutionalized. The report contained revelation regarding the abuse of mental health patients and the injustices committed towards them in psychiatric facilities. Even though changes were made nearly a decade later, the report threw light on the condition of mentally ill individuals. The debate regarding the validity and use of the change still remains though.
A mental health care plan was implemented for the first time throughout the nation in 1992. More plans were added to this later and at the present moment; five mental health care plans are in action. Mental health reform and management have been placed at the forefront of Australian agenda. As a result, it is considered a leader in such reforms with mental health care plans being modified every few years.
Australia has been a centre of mental health management systems and has set up various sophisticated plans for mental health care. However, there are still some issues that it needs to address. In particular, rural areas require more care and professional treatment which is lacking. The Australian Medical Association published in its 2018 mental health review that Australia requires a mental health architecture or national design to prevent mental health issues or properly care for people mental conditions. Other issues it highlighted included, lack of proper treatment and care for the adult population with mental conditions. The AMA believes that the Australian government has not structural plan and thus faces danger with regards to its mental health policies and treatments.
The Australian government spends approximately $9 billion on mental health related services every year (figure from 2017). The average per person has increased over the years. While more expenditure is being dedicated to mental health related service by the Australian government, the issue has still been out of control. There have been calls for further increase in funding by critics as the budget for mental health is still too small. However, from the entire budget spent on health services, funding on mental health has accounted for nearly 5% when the burden of the disease is only 12%.
The demographic regarding the mental health of Australians is almost alarming. Studies show that nearly 45% of Australians are likely to experience a mental disorder at least once in their lifetime. The most common mental disorders were found to be: Anxiety disorders with nearly 14.4% of Australians suffering from it; Substance use disorders were found in approximately 5.1% of Australians and Affective disorders affecting 6.2% of the total Australian population. Other mental disorder affecting the Australian population was found to be bipolar disorders, mood disorders and so on. The Australian institute of Health and Welfare released a report in 2018 regarding the mental health services of the country and stated that about 4.2 million people in Australia received mental health related prescriptions during 2017-2018 alone. This points to the urgency of care and treatment required for mental health disorders in the Australian population (Lewis & Garton, 2017).
Question 2: Identify key issues, discuss and note the political, economic and social issues impacting on the field of practice. (540 words)
Social issues
Mental health disorders are responsible for various social issues including poverty, abuse and related problems. Mental disorders lead to a cycle of poverty burdening both individuals as well as their families. They interfere with an individual’s capacity to earn thereby resulting in decreased productivity. Families with individuals having some form of mental illness have to spend a substantial amount of their earnings on treatment and medication of the mentally ill. This reduces the money they have to spend on other activities that improve quality of lives. Reduced quality of life and low income often lead to other mental illnesses such as depression and anxiety.
Mental health conditions also reduce the educational attainment of children. This reduces their chances of having fruitful careers. Whether those suffering from mental health conditions are parents or children, it can significantly impact their education. Children aren’t able to attend school properly or are sometimes removed from education altogether.
Political
Political issues are also quite relevant to mental health. While the Australian government has taken many initiatives in relation to mental health, these initiatives don’t seem to be enough. The main issue in this regard is funding. While government spends a large amount on mental health, the efficacy of mental health programs doesn’t seem to be scaling up. This shows that resources are being wasted unduly.
In addition to the funding, another political issue is implementing intervention policies at the national level. In theory, everything looks good and in place, however, practically, achieving country-level attainment...