The Implications of Australian Mental Health Strategy to the Advocacy for the Mentally Ill and the Community Mental Health Systems in Korea
Since 1995 when the Mental Health Law has been enacted in Korea, the development of the community-based mental health systems has been emphasized. As a result, the numbers of the psychosocial rehabilitation services for the chronically mentally ill are increasing gradually. The Korean mental health system is, however, still operated through relatively long periods of hospitalization in large-sized mental hospitals, and the human rights of the mentally ill are often threathened. The lack of rehabilitation services and of supporting for their families in the community as well as the loss of autonomy of the mental patients in the process of the hospitalization and the discharge prohibits them from social adjustment.
The purpose of this study is to report the results of the interviews with mental health professionals in mental health services of Melbourne, Victoria during Summer, 2001, and to discuss about the implications of Australian experiences to the development of community mental health in Korea. The agencies visited for the research include public mental health clinics and residential rehabilitation facilities as well as private psychiatric disability services and the family associations.
The national mental health strategy of Australia fully implemented deinstitutionalization, and made it possible to establish the area-based menal health services. I found that it was possible by the strong leadership of the government. Instead of expecting the mental health reform through dehospitalization, rather the increase of rehabilitation centers and services within mental hospitals as well as the increase of community-based mental health services is more probable in Korean situations.
First of all, the allocation of the budget for the implementing rehabilitation services is required. To advocate the mentally ill, it is necessary to strengthen the roles of the committees investigating the process of hospitalization and discharge. The other suggestions for the Korean community mental health system are discussed.