Wesley Mission and Suicide Prevention Australia.
June 2020.
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.
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