• 19 per cent of Victorians each year experience some degree of mental illness, including 27% of 18-24 year olds.¹
• Mental illness costs the Victorian economy around $5.4 billion annually – driven in large part by diminished workforce participation and productivity.¹
• 1 per cent reduction in the burden of mental health would cost $26 million and potentially deliver a net benefit of $7 million to the Victorian economy.¹

• "Victoria still has too few beds and mental health clinicians in both the state-funded and Commonwealth funded sectors to provide services to the one in two individuals who do not access appropriate care at present."¹
• 56 per cent of people who are mentally ill are not receiving appropriate treatment.¹
• 44 per cent of people with severe psychotic disorders (ie schizophrenia, bipolar) or a serious disability are unserviced. 54 per cent of people with a moderate disability or non psychotic disorders go unserviced. 60 of people with low to mild disability for non-psychotic disorders are unserviced.¹
• Approximately 120,000 people in Victoria with moderate to serious mental illness do not receive treatment in any 12 month period.¹
• Growth in demand has averaged 8 per cent over the 1996-2002 period.
• Mental health is 20 per cent of illness burden but attracts only 7-10 per cent of the budget.
• Only 64% of people with a mental illness presenting to a Hospital Emergency Department are departing to a mental health bed within 8 hours.²

• Victoria has the Lowest number of inpatient beds for people with a mental illness in Australia with only 23 beds per 100,000 (only the NT and ACT are behind).¹
• Statewide occupancy rates have increased from 95.3 per cent to 98.5 per cent.²

Victorians have a right to an adequately funded and resourced mental health system. People with a mental illness have a right to proper treatment and care. Staff have a right to have the resources to do the job properly in a safe and secure work environment. Workforce shortages is negatively impacting on service delivery and quality outcomes for people with a mental illness. Improved staffing in inpatient and community care means better services for Victoria's most vulnerable.

References: 

¹ Improving Mental Health Out comes in Victoria: the next wave of reform, Boston Consulting Group, July 2006 (Link)

² Department of Human Services, Mental Health Key Performance Indicators - Adult quarter 1,2,3 & 4 2006-07