Views and experiences of service users and family carers on mental health services in Australia

Introduction: Service users and carers face barriers to accessing mental health supports. Learning from their experiences is crucial to identifying ways to innovate and implement system change. This study aims to explore the views and experiences of service users and carers on the services they have used for their mental health challenges and their suggestions for service reform.

Methods: A qualitative study was conducted of service users and carers. Data were analysed inductively using thematic analysis.

Results: Twenty participants (15 carers and 5 service users) were interviewed for the study. Eight categories emerged from the data. They were: Several gaps in the system, Barriers to accessing services, Services are not fit for purpose, Services operate in isolation, System is not person focused, Service users and carers are treated poorly, Services are overloaded and under resourced and Recommendations for service reform. Key findings included no services available to identify those who remained isolated and refused to leave their residence, no services for transgender people, a lack of information on community supports for those who were discharged from hospital, general practitioners were not considered part of the mental health team and personal recovery-oriented training was needed for mental health professionals.

Conclusion: The public mental health system in Australia for persons with severe and persistent mental health challenges has several shortcomings. A persistent lack of funding and resources for services are the root cause of these shortcomings. Additionally, innovations are needed to re-orient services to enable continuity of care and training of mental health professionals is needed for a better understanding of the needs of service users and their carers.