4 Dec 2018

Mental health system under-resourced, under pressure, unsustainable - report

From Checkpoint, 5:08 pm on 4 December 2018

Our current mental health system ..is "under-resourced", "under pressure" and "unsustainable" according to a report released today by Mental Health & Addiction inquiry. And we can't medicate or treat our way out of this epidemic of mental distress. The report by a government appointed panel makes 40 recommendations. Natasha Sadler's son Memphis died from a synthetic cannabis overdose while waiting more than eight months for a bed in a rehab unit. She was one of the more than 5000 people who made submissions to the inquiry. Natasha told our producer Bridget Burke she knew her son was going to die but she didn't have any medical help or the financial means to stop him.