• National scan reveals over 300 programs in Australia focus on improving physical health outcomes for people living with mental illness
• National Awards highlight international impact and innovation in closing life expectancy gap for people living with mental illness
• Key gaps in screening for cancer and heart disease and supports for smoking reduction, oral health and vaccinations are needed to reduce the 20-year life expectancy gap for people living with mental ill-health

A leading Charles Sturt University mental health advocate said a ‘National Scan of Initiatives’ shows an increase in the number of programs around Australia aimed at improving the physical health outcomes for people living with mental illness.

Equally Well National Director and Professor of Management and Leadership Russell Roberts in the Charles Sturt School of Business said the evidence from this ‘national scan’ demonstrates how these initiatives are improving health and saving lives.

“For example, the national scan highlights the increasing priority of physical health programs for people living with mental illness,” Professor Roberts said.

“However, we are very early in this journey and there are still opportunities to do better.”

Professor Roberts said the National Initiatives and Activities Scan 2022 maps the extensive work from the nearly 100 Equally Well supporter organisations and this innovation will be showcased at the 2023 Equally Well Symposium 25-27 July in Sydney.

“The scan illustrates the impact of supporter organisations against the criteria for improving health outcomes for people with mental illness as outlined in the National Consensus Statement,” he said.

The 2023 Equally Well Symposium theme, ‘Becoming an Equally Well Country: Working collaboratively to reduce health inequality’, acknowledges the multiple perspectives and unique experiences of all of those who are committed to the goal of reducing the life expectancy gap for people living with mental health challenges.

Professor Roberts said supporter organisations are passionate about achieving equal rights to health care for all, no matter where they are, who they are, or where they come from.

“We can see since we started mapping the data in 2018, that there has been an increase in areas of activity for programs focussing on integrated care between health services, nutrition, exercise, and strong partnerships with consumers and carers in developing resources that better suit their needs, which are all great results,” he said.

“However, we now also see from this data that there are opportunities to target key gaps in areas such as smoking reduction, improving vaccination rates and better oral health, if we are going to maintain the impact of the life-saving work being done to address this problem.”

Data that supports the scan results includes:

• Smoking: one-in-two long-term smokers die of smoking-related illnesses and while the overall percentage of smokers in Australia has plummeted over the last 20 years, it remains unchanged for people living with mental illness.
• Vaccination: people living with mental illness are seven times more likely to be hospitalised and five times more likely to die due to vaccine-preventable conditions. A flu vax costs $15 to $30; a night in hospital costs $2,000.
• Oral Health: poor oral health has major negative impacts on immunological, cardiovascular and other body systems, yet appears to be an area receiving the least attention.

Professor Roberts said a key aim of the annual symposium is to energise leaders to share, facilitate collaboration and amplify impact to address this serious problem.

“The fact that every year over 20,000 people with mental illness die prematurely, mostly due to preventable physical illnesses like heart disease, cancer, diabetes and influenza, is a national shame,” Professor Russell Roberts said.

“By working collectively by sharing knowledge, experiences of success and addressing challenges, we will achieve this goal of collective action for change.”

After a year of consultation, workshops, drafting and incorporating 1,400 written submissions, the Equally Well National Consensus Statement was adopted in 2017 as shared commitment to coordinated action to address this national problem.

In 2017, the National Mental Health Commission supported the establishment of the Equally Well project team to oversee and coordinate the implementation of the Equally Well National Consensus Statement.

A progress report, Equally Well in Action – The First Six Years, and presentation of the inaugural Equally Well Awards are a feature of this year’s symposium program.

Professor Roberts said now is a good time to reflect on what impact has been made through this collective call for action that became the Equally Well country and consider next steps for coordinated national action.

“Equally Well is alive and well, and Australia is leading the world in a coordinated approach to improving the physical health of people living with mental illness,” he said.

“We are witnessing great progress, but need to stay committed to maintaining the momentum from our first six years and really push towards healthcare equity in this country.”

Some notable achievements in the report include:

• Every state mental health department has an Equally Well-related strategy or is currently in the process of developing one.
• Community-managed organisations (NGOs) have introduced world leading reforms to protect and enhance the physical health of their clients.
• Primary Health Networks (PHNs) have reported 55 new initiatives focused on the physical health of people living with mental illness.
• The National Medical Health and Research Council recently committed $5 million to research targeting the physical health of people living with mental illness.

“This is a story about the power of collective action to improve the Australian health and mental health system,” Professor Roberts said.

“Rather than create another segment in an already fragmented system, Equally Well works to connect the organisations, sectors and system elements together, to mobilise action and enable an effective collective national response to this problem. It is working, although we still have a long way to go.”

The conference will be opened on Tuesday by the Assistant Minister for Rural and Regional Health and Assistant Minister for Mental Health and Suicide Prevention, the Hon. Emma McBride and on day two the event will be opened by the Hon. Rose Jackson NSW Minister for Mental Health, MLC.

For a full preview of the program and speaker details visit the Equally Well 2023 Symposium Website or follow social media #EquallyWellAu23.