Today the National Mental Health Commission (the Commission) launched the Fifth Plan Consumer and Carer Surveys for 2020, to better understand experiences of mental health services in Australia over the past year.
The Commission conducts annual consumer and carer surveys to help inform reporting on the progress of mental health and suicide prevention reform in Australia, specifically the Fifth National Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Plan.
For the first time last year, the Commission released the Fifth National Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Plan, 2019: The consumer and carer perspective report, sharing insights from people living with mental illness, as well as families and carers, on their experiences in accessing mental health care. This report set a baseline for tracking progress and measuring change in experiences of consumers and carers over the coming years.
This year, the Commission is seeking feedback from consumers and carers on their experiences of mental health services in the past 12 months. We have launched two national surveys – one for consumers and one for carers – to better understand their unique experiences and needs.
The perspective of consumers and carers is essential in understanding if the implementation of the Fifth Plan is translating into genuine improvements in experience and outcomes of care. Experiences shared in the surveys will contribute to the development of the Fifth National Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Plan, 2020: Consumer and carer perspective report. These insights are critical in driving sustainable reform of the mental health system and delivering care that suits the needs of Australians.
Who can participate?
The Commission welcomes responses from consumers who have accessed mental health services in the past 12 months, as well as family members and carers of those who have accessed mental health services in the past 12 months.
If you are experiencing a mental illness, and also care for someone who is experiencing a mental illness, we encourage you to take both surveys.
Take the Survey
To get involved, you can complete the consumer and carer surveys online via the links below.
The survey should take approximately 10 to 30 minutes to complete and will be open until 11 May 2020.
We are grateful to all consumers and carers who share their experiences to drive system reform.
