Q: Is mental health a problem in Australia?
A: Despite unprecedented calls to address the growing mental health issues in Australia, mental health is the third biggest receiver of health expenditure in Australia. Much has just begun to reduce the stigma of mental health issues in our community, promote awareness and improve mental health services.

Q: Are deaf and hard of hearing children at any greater risk than a hearing child?
A: Vulnerability and sexual abuse of deaf children and adolescents is approximately 2.5 more likely than of their hearing peers. Deaf children, like any disable child are 1.8 times more likely to endure neglect, 1.6 times more likely to physically abused and 2.2 times more likely to be victims of sexual abuse than non- disabled children (Hindley and Kitson pp. 155).

Q: Are Deaf children taught to recognise dangers that they should try to protect themselves from?
A: We need to educate deaf children to recognise inappropriate behaviour and empower them with education and skills to deal with the threat. Some cutting-edge programs and DVD’s have been produced in the UK, which we are looking forward to adapting to an Australian application.

Q: Are there many deaf and hearing impaired prisoners in Australia?
A: Deaf prisoners in Australian are more likely to serve longer sentences compared to hearing prisoners. The chances of someone working in the criminal justice system (in any role) coming into contact with a person who has a hearing impairment during the course of an average working week are quite high.

Q: Are Deaf and hearing impaired prisoners in Australia treated like other prisoners?
Forensic psychologists have documented that poor understanding and treatment of deaf and hearing impaired prisoners diminishes their mental health, with already low levels of communication with prisoners and contributes to high stress levels whilst in prison.

Q: Are indigenous populations affected by deafness?
A: Approximately 15% of Indigenous Population reported ear/hearing problems, which increased with age (ABS National Health Survey, Aboriginal and Torres Straight Islander Results 2001). The National Reference Team will identify a specific indigenous strategy to be tackled on a long-term educational basis, as there are current strategies with these communities that will aim to link in with.

Q: Are there plenty of services available for people to access assistance with mental health issues?
A: The Mental Health Council of Australia says that, ‘that any person in Australia seeking mental health care, runs the serious risk that his or her needs will be ignored, trivialised or neglected’. That the adverse health, social, and economic effects of Australia’s mental health care system fall largely on those with recurrent or chronic disorders and their families and carers.

Q: Are there plenty of trained mental health professionals?
A: The report claims that Australians needing mental health care are some of the most vulnerable people in our community and that there was a ‘looming crisis’ within the mental health workforce, which supports our concern about of the lack of expertise with diagnosis and coordinated treatment, particularly with patients with existing disabilities or impairments. (Source: Mental Health Council of Australia 2005 Report Not For Service, Experiences of injustice and despair in Mental Health Care in Australia summary p.2).

Q: What are the employment prospects like for deaf and hearing impaired Australians?
A: Employment opportunities for deaf and hearing impaired people is significantly less than for hearing applicants and attributes to loss of productivity. Nearly 50% of people with hearing loss are at the working age (15-64 Years), with an estimated 158,876 people not employed in 2005 due to their hearing loss.