A new survey conducted by global research agency Ipsos and commissioned by BEING – Mental Health Consumers, has unveiled the experiences of mental health consumers in the NSW mental health system.

The survey, which polled 155 mental health consumers across the state who have either presented to a hospital emergency department for a mental health issue or have been an inpatient in a mental health unit, revealed that 1 in 2 (50%) found their treatment has been ineffective in improving their mental health, with 12% stating that the care they received worsened their mental health and 5% feeling further traumatised by their experience with the mental health system.

“Going through the survey results was heartbreaking and a clear indication that the system is failing many mental health consumers across NSW. People experiencing mental health related crises who are turning to the mental health sector for support should not be left feeling worse off,” saod Priscilla Brice, BEING CEO.

Close to 1 in 5 (18%) said the level of support from the mental health system across NSW was either somewhat unsupportive or very unsupportive. Some of the reasons were that 54% didn’t feel listened to, 43% said they were not treated with respect and 32% felt they didn’t receive enough information about their treatment and rights.

“It’s for this reason that BEING – Mental Health Consumers, through a co-design process with mental health consumers, has created a series of printed and digital information resources, to put key aspects of the Mental Health Act 2007 into layman’s terms,” Brice added.

“Creating these resources and making them readily available to mental health consumers across NSW is a step in the right direction to improve their experiences and make sure they get the care and support that they need. This survey shows there’s a desperate need to provide consumers with more information in an easy-to-digest format.”

The resources, funded by NSW Health, cover eight topics that have been deemed to be of greatest relevance and need by people with lived experience who participated in the co-design committee meetings. The topics are:

• Your rights when admitted to a mental health unit
• Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT)
• Community Treatment Orders (CTO)
• Designated carers and principal care providers
• Finding advocacy support
• Alternatives to guardianship
• Applying for leave or discharge
• Financial management and guardianship orders

Mental Health Commissioner of the NSW Mental Health Commission Catherine Lourey highlighted that mental health consumers want to be listened to and treated with respect by the system when they are being treated during a mental health crisis.

“This poll – and the many research projects that have gone before it – demonstrate that this isn’t currently happening. It’s great that BEING has developed new resources to give consumers the information they need to take a lead in their own care, but it’s appalling that fundamental requirements of our system still aren’t working,” added Lourey.