The budget has delivered a win for people living with brain disorders in Australia, with a $7 million funding boost for research aimed at developing improved models of care.
The clinical and research translation program, led by the Mindgardens Neuroscience Network, will build new models of care to address the burden of brain disorders in Australia.
Currently, the disease burden associated with neurological, mental health and substance use disorders is in excess of $74 billion a year and accounts for 20.5 per cent of disability-adjusted life years. This is nearly twice the global figure of 11.1 per cent and illustrates the scale of the healthcare challenge.
Between 2010 and 2017, substance misuse (drugs, alcohol) grew at 24.7 per cent, followed by neurological disorders at 15.6 per cent and mental health disorders by 8.6 per cent.
The funding will support a series of pilot programs to develop new models of care to target the three principal areas of brain health.
- Neurological conditions, including developmental disorders, stroke and dementia.
- Mental health.
- Drug, alcohol and addiction disorders.
