An astonishing new report suggests that half of adults in Australia will experience some mental health condition over the course of their lives, but there is decidedly little funding for mental health compared to physical health. The Australian Medical Association is calling for a national overarching mental health plan to deal with the problem, which is an issue certainly not limited to the Australian medical community.

Dr. Michael Gannon, AMA president, said in the AMA Position Statement on Mental Health 2018 that strategic leadership is needed in order to make mental health prevention and care a key component of the health care industry. AMA is calling for more funding for mental health services for those with psychosocial disabilities, which could end up saving in the long run due to fewer hospital admissions.

“The AMA is calling for a national, overarching mental health ‘architecture,’ and proper investment in both prevention and treatment of mental illnesses,” reads the statement. “Almost one in two Australian adults will experience a mental health condition in their lifetime, yet mental health and psychiatric care are grossly underfunded when compared to physical health, AMA President, Dr Michael Gannon, said today. Releasing the AMA Position Statement on Mental Health 2018, Dr Gannon said that strategic leadership is needed to integrate all components of mental health prevention and care.”