SPR30831 WLF SPA WhitePaper v12 - Flipbook - Page 5
Executive summary
The COVID-19 pandemic is a watershed event in the
history of Australia and the world: challenging our public
health systems and experts, and bringing unprecedented
shifts in our global economy, society and how we live as
families and individuals.
Australia has, however, emerged from the pandemic much stronger than
most. We are uniquely placed to rebuild our economy and society more
rapidly than many other countries around the world. The Australian
Government, in partnership with private and not-for-profit sectors, can
now proactively set in place the foundations necessary for a healthy and
flourishing Australian society. The National Mental Health and Pandemic
Response Plan has sent a strong signal that the Australian Government
intends to embark on this effort. However, we are signalling policymakers
to consider the underlying factors that bring distress in our community.
This paper will highlight some of the risk factors that are now emerging.
In doing so, we do not intend to raise concern in the broader community,
but rather draw from evidence and Wesley Mission’s frontline experience
to shine a light on areas the government might consider as it plans and
mobilises Australia’s recovery effort in the medium term.
The first section summarises themes emerging from the evidence.
This summary provides an overview of some of the latest literature on
COVID-19 and previous pandemics; and the link between major events
such as COVID-19 and suicidality. This evidence is sobering, however
there are early findings in the literature that point to the capacity of
well-targeted mental health interventions to minimise risk. Most of these
interventions have already been taken up in the National Mental Health
and Pandemic Response Plan. For example, the significant expansion
and promotion of alternative modes of mental health service delivery.
We have then provided a brief overview of the relationship between
emerging changes in our economy and how these could increase
the risk factors for suicide. We have not attempted to predict what an
increase, if any, would equate to, but rather to signal the relationship
between economic recession, unemployment and financial distress.
We are urging the government to carefully consider the future of
protective measures such as JobKeeper and JobSeeker in its plans for
economic recovery.
Reducing distress in the community following the COVID-19 pandemic
June 2020
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