WE write to your readers to ask them to make a stronger connection between themselves and people facing mental health issues.
The not-for-profit Mental Illness Fellowship of Australia says it is deeply alarming that there are now 460,000 people who have no access to much needed community support for their mental health conditions.
The numbers, sadly, are continuing to grow.
Our latest campaign highlights the neglect of people in your area who have a mental health issue is on a very significant scale.
Put simply, thousands and thousands of Australians with mental health issues are ending up in hospitals and emergency departments because they believe it is their only option.
People with a severe mental illness die 23 years earlier than the general population. Obviously, this is shameful.
We are calling on all governments to start taking meaningful action to help people with severe mental illness.
We are also calling on your readers to be aware that we have a powerful not-for-profit initiative that they can be part of. The initiative is called Finding North.
This project connects people with mental health issues with others in similar situations and it is an ideal place to go to if you need support.
To get more information, go to www.findingnorth.org.au