Conducted in 2010, the People Living with Psychotic Illness study is the largest ever carried out in Australia on the impact of conditions such as schizophrenia.
Commissioned by the Australian Government, Department of Health and conducted by a team of experts spanning the country, the study provides a comprehensive insight into the impact of psychotic illness on the lives of Australians.
SANE - a proud partner in the project - produced People Living with Psychotic Illness: A SANE Response summarising the key findings, and outlining action needed in response.
SANE's findings included:
- How many are affected? Sixty-four thousand people with psychotic illness are in contact with public mental health services every year. Two in three experience their first episode before the age of 25.
- Who is affected? People with psychotic illness are more likely to be male, living alone and have disrupted education.
- What are the effects? Psychotic illness often has a severe impact on ability to function in daily life.
- Physical health. People with psychotic illness are experience very poor physical health, and are more likely to attempt suicide than the general population.
- Mental health services. People with psychotic illness are the predominant users of mental health services, and make heavy, regular use of other health services.
- NGO services. Mental health non-government organisations (NGOs) provide a range of services, and are highly valued by people living with psychotic illness.
- GP services. People with psychotic illness see their GP nine times a year on average: almost twice as often as the general population.
- A home and a job. People with psychotic illness have a very high rate of unemployment and are at greater risk of homelessness.
- Social isolation. Nearly a quarter of people with psychotic illness reported feeling socially isolated and lonely. One in eight had no friends at all.
- The challenge. The People Living with Psychotic Illness study provides compelling evidence of the need to improve our mental health services, and recommendations on this are spelled out under Action on every page of A SANE Response.
ABC television's current affairs program 7.30 reported on the launch, featuring SANE Speakers, David Braniff and Sandy Jeffs, as well as former SANE Executive Director, Barbara Hocking.
For further insight into the perspective of people with lived experience you can view David's Parliament House speech, or read Sandy's column for the news website Crikey.
Download People Living with Psychosis: A SANE Response (1.5 MB), or for a copy of the full report visit the Australian Government, Department of Health.
