Polls always place mental health higher on the list of priorities for voters, especially undecided ones, than politicians acknowledge. Coalition vows to 'break the curse of youth suicide' with mental health package Read moreAs someone who has worked in mental health care for nearly 40 years, I would say this is true, even for mental health care. The National Mental Health Commission has made the correct diagnosis: that we need to build the missing steps between GPs and the emergency departments for the missing middle. All sides of politics are encouraged to commit to this stepping stone to better mental healthcare and to equity for people with mental illness in our health system. • Pat McGorry is professor of youth mental health at the University of Melbourne and executive director of Orygen, the National Centre of Excellence in Youth Mental Health.

Source: The Guardian April 25, 2019 18:00 UTC