Mental health is the biggest social justice issue affecting the region, according to a survey completed by the Salvation Army.
The Salvation Army this week released its Social Justice Stocktake, where more than 15,000 people across the country were surveyed on what social justice issues concerned them and their community.
For respondents in the Corio and Corangamite electorates, the clear leading issue was mental health.
Almost two-thirds (62.1 per cent) of Corio electorate residents nominated mental health as a concern, higher than the national average of 53.9 per cent and the Victorian average of 56.7 per cent.
Drug and alcohol misuse (56.3 per cent) was the second biggest concern for the Corio electorate, followed by housing affordability (49.5 per cent).
Barwon Health mental health, drugs and alcohol clinical services director Associate Professor Steve Moylan said since the pandemic health services had seen greater demand for mental health support.
“Health services across the region, including Barwon Health, have experienced growing demand for appointments and care related to mental health, drugs and alcohol in recent years,” he said.
“Barwon Health welcomes any investment in the mental health sector, particularly with Geelong-based commitments including the implementation of mental health ‘Hospital in the Home’ services. Barwon Health has commenced this new innovative service offering up to nine HITH beds at any one time.
He said Barwon Health would also be opening a 16-bed mental health and wellbeing centre at the McKellar Centre and a new central hub for community-based mental health and alcohol and drug services in the Geelong CBD.
“Locating the hub in a prominent location on Moorabool Street is an important step forward in destigmatising mental health, by normalising the services provided to our community,” he said.
Professor Moylan said there was still “much system reform work to do … to help drive positive changes for people with mental ill-health”.
“Health care is a human right and caring for people with mental illness is critical in maximising people’s participation in society,” he said.
“Poor mental health can lead to poorer participation in work, education, poorer relationships with family and community, and is associated with worsened physical health outcomes, including chronic disease and early mortality.
“For this reason, mental health care is an issue of social justice, and it is not surprising to see it so prominently recognised by the Salvation Army’s Social Justice Stocktake.”
The survey was completed and released ahead of the federal election to provide a guide of what issues the community deemed most important.
