Reform, revolution and disruption in mental health care: a consumer's perspective

Mental health leaders, policy makers and successive national and state governments have tried countless incremental reforms. Yet, for decades in Australia, independent inquiries and reports have concluded that our mental health 'system of care' is a misnomer. It is fragmented, ineffective, inefficient and unfair. For far too long, people, families and communities have paid a heavy price for this. Reform in itself will not be the solution that we can hang all our hopes on. Disruptive innovations are now sneaking into the mental health sector and beginning to be taken up en masse. Sitting alongside this is a budding revolution - an unrest stirring in our communities that has not been seen before in the history of mental health. People are raising their expectations and communities are demanding better. With external (revolution, disruption) and internal (reform) forces colliding at a similar time, a perfect storm is being created for what could be the long-awaited and much-needed change we have longed to see. But it will not be without pain because, given a choice, most will opt for stability over change. But ignoring what is coming may not be wise.