Experienced mental health professionals are on hand to help
In response to growing mental health issues in the community, Medibank has launched a new service for customers to provide information, advice and support from experienced mental health professionals.
Medibank’s Mental Health Phone Support (1800 644 325) can now assist customers with information on the best place to seek help, how to support a loved one, or information about the signs and symptoms of mental health issues.
Mental health and wellbeing is a growing problem for Australians. Medibank data shows more people are being admitted to hospital for mental health issues; psychiatry is in the top five claims for our customers.
Our experience is supported by the national data. 45% of Australians will have a common mental disorder in their lifetime, according to the National Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing of adults (aged 16–85). Each year 1 in 5 Australian adults, about 3.8 million people, are estimated to experience a mental disorder. In addition, each year 1 in 7 young people (aged 4–17) are experiencing a mental health disorder.
The experienced mental health professionals at the mental health support line can provide advice on how to access personal support across both the public and private systems, helping Medibank customers to navigate the often difficult-to-understand healthcare sphere.
The service is also able to follow up with customers to see how they are progressing with seeking help with face-to-face, if they would like to stay in touch.
We understand that looking after mental health is just as important as looking after physical health and offering this service via Medibank Mental Health Phone Support helps us to offer a holistic healthcare experience for our customers.
