Review of National Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Agreement calls for more investment in psychosocial disability.

Many within the disability community would be interested to hear the recommended solution for those with disability, who also live with subsequent mental health conditions, outlined in the Review of the National Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Agreement, which was released by the Productivity Commission yesterday.

Listing areas that are falling behind within the Mental Health sector, the report identified costs, wait times, workforce shortages, as well as inadequate and unresponsive crisis support as the key elements in need of improvement.

The Review of the National Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Agreement presented a recommendation that state and territory governments take immediate responsibility in addressing the gap which affects 500,000 people with psychosocial conditions outside of the National Disability Insurance Scheme.

People with disability are three times more likely to die by suicide than those without disability, with a suicide rate of over 33% and higher likelihood for LGBTIQA+ people with disability, according to People with Disability Australia.

According to People with Disability Australia, mental health conditions can be both a cause and effect of disability. The organisation also says it views people with mental health conditions as people with psychosocial disability and argues that the suicide rate of people with disability is higher than noted in the current statistics show.

Minister for Health, Disability and Ageing, Mark Butler, claims the government is committed to working with states and territories, advocacy organisations and people with lived experience to shape the future of mental health and suicide prevention in Australia.