The Second National Mental Health Plan: an opportunity to take stock and move forward

In the first five years of Australia's National Mental Health Strategy (including the National Mental Health Plan), there has already been a 55% increase in spending on community health services, and overall funding for mental health services has increased by 24%. However, the broadening of the Plan's objectives warrants further increases in mental health funding. The focus has been on people with psychotic disorders (who represent a minority of those with mental disorders); in the Second National Mental Health Plan, endorsed in July 1998, the focus is broadened to include depressive disorders, and promotion of mental well-being in the broader community is a key theme. These initiatives will require partnerships, particularly with primary care.