Issue affects us all

THERE’S nothing particularly exciting about discussing issues of mental health.

For years members of the health and education sectors have tried valiantly to engage the broader community on why mental health was worthy as a discussion point or a funding commitment.

Even those directly affected by mental health issues rarely broadcast their involvement, with a quiet campaign behind the scenes the usually favoured approach to raising awareness or funds to combat the issue.

While RUOK Day and this week’s National Mental Health Week have come some way to normalising discussion around the issue, mental health is still often seen as one of those “not my problem” problems or unlikely to win votes at the ballot box.

But it’s a lot more important than many tend to realise.

Research this week revealed that poor mental health is costing Australian businesses around $11 billion every year in staff turnover, absenteeism and sick leave.

On our streets, drug addiction is having a real impact with the most recent crime statistics showing drug-related crimes across the Geelong region jumping 36.3 per cent in the past financial year. And our young people are being dogged by mental health issues, with research showing as many as a quarter of Australians aged 16-24 are likely to experience poor mental health.

Mental illness can take many forms. Such as the pub employee featured today whose gambling addiction had run so rampant that he blew $50,000 of his employer’s money over one night in a 20-race losing streak and has subsequently been jailed for six months.

Whether it be lost business productivity, a rise in crime or a gambling addiction that leads to imprisonment, mental health issues can have an adverse effect across the whole community.

We shouldn't need a special week to encourage discussion around mental health. It might not be terribly sexy, but it is way past time that we all took ownership over an issue that affects so many.