More resources needed to tackle mental illness epidemic

Joel Cauchi’s father Andrew Cauchi said:“I made myself a servant to my son when I found out he had a mental illness.” If ever there was a heroic statement,this is one (“Killer details emerge as family speaks”,April 16). That is a life of dedication that would never have been uncovered in the normal course of life. There are hundreds of such parents in our anguished society. Mental illness is at epidemic proportions and very often the family quietly and heroically carries the cross.Michael Kennedy,West Pymble

Is it unpredictable that homeless,seriously mentally ill people,without treatment,maybe taking amphetamines and/or cannabis,fending for themselves,finally “snap” and have a major psychotic episode? What would happen to an asthmatic or diabetic being deprived of medication,living on the streets? Our premier sees the answer in giving police more powers – to do what? The premier could look at the vacant lands around state psychiatric hospitals for building halfway houses,and staffing them properly,bringing retired psychiatrists,nurses,paramedical staff to fill the gaps in discombobulated mental health services. In north-east Goulburn there is a large paddock of unused demountable classrooms. With some modifications they could be used,say,in the grounds of Callan Park,Macquarie,Kenmore,and other hospitals for temporary housing.

There are simply not enough police to go around whether they have more powers or not. There are plenty more people in Joel Cauchi’s circumstances. Though,of course,it is cheaper to pass a law giving police more,useless powers.Gregory Cook,Beecroft (retired psychiatrist)

In 1983,the Richmond Report recommended the NSW government fund a system of community-based networks,backed up by specialist hospital and accommodation services for the mental health sector. Lack of political support meant this failed. In 1993,the Burdekin Report found disgraceful progress on this. Savings from the Richmond Report’s deinstitutionalisation recommendations had not been directed to community-based mental health services which were mostly grossly underfunded and underdeveloped. The absence of supported accommodation was the single biggest obstacle to patient recovery.

Between 2006 and 2012 there were 32 more separate statutory inquiries into the sector with few,if any,implemented. It is now 2024. We do not need more reports,enquiries,inquests,broken lives and political scapegoating. We need the political will and resources to address the woeful inadequacy of mental illness treatment and funding. We can no longer afford to fail.Vivien Clark-Ferraino,Duckmaloi

The premier has announced a $18m coronial inquiry into the Bondi tragedy. Where will this money actually go? At a time when the city has just lost two privately run mental health hospitals in Kogarah and Ashfield,surely the delivery of those services will serve the state better than a lawyers’ picnic.Duncan Anderson,Hunters Hill

In the aftermath of the Richmond Report,psychiatric hospitals across the country began to close from the 1980s onward. This was heralded as an advancement in the treatment of mental health,given a background of questionable therapies such as the Chelmsford Hospital’s “deep sleep” program. As a visitor to both Callan Park and North Ryde hospitals in the 1970s,I can attest to an atmosphere of gloom – perhaps,the result of many patients being heavily sedated. The definition of what constituted poor mental health was also up for debate. Wayward,abusive husbands could legally “section” their unwanted wives,and young people with drug problems,directed by courts to seek treatment in such places,were instead given powerful sedatives. However,when these asylums closed,the necessary supportive infrastructure was,and continues to be,minimal. Institutions are a cheap fix for mental health problems in society,but they are certainly not a solution.Lyndall Nelson,Goulburn

I worked as a correctional officer for almost 20 years in both maximum and minimum facilities. Many inmates currently in jail would have been cared for in earlier times in psychiatric hospitals by resident medical professionals. Many offenders deliberately commit crimes so that they can be sent to jail where they have a relatively safe,ordered environment. Others just wander the streets,dependent on charity and trying to deal with their mental conditions as best as they can. Within the correctional system there was training available for officers in recognising and dealing with mental health issues. It was quite limited but at least it was something. Successive penny-pinching by the department has seen most training replaced with meaningless “tick and flick” computer exercises. This leaves correctional officers,who generally carry no weapons or PPE,even less equipped to deal with inmates with mental health issues.Stephen McDonald,Goulburn

The image of the “bollard man” is seared into the memories of any Australian viewing the confronting Bondi massacre scenes. This young Frenchman has been identified as Damien Guerot whose visa runs out in a month. It’s wonderful news that he has been offered a permanent visa in return for his brave act of saving possibly multiple more lives.Narelle Ryan,Woollahra

In the aftermath of the Bondi tragedy,the role of security guards has been raised. These hardworking people,who have no legal protection,are basically there to tell kids to stop riding their skateboards and to deter shoplifters. During a real emergency,their role should be seen as facilitating building evacuation and communicating with first responders. To expect any more is unreasonable.Ross MacPherson,Seaforth

Lehrmann should have quit while he was ahead

A fantastic,non-sensational,forensic analysis of the Lehrmann case by Justice Michael Lee (“A lying rapist”,April 16). The quote of all time about going back into the lion’s den to get his hat must be ringing in Lehrmann’s ears. He should have quit while he was ahead! Both parties being described as questionable witnesses and the sensationalised headlines by the media must bring a focus back onto factual reporting. My wonder now is whether this roadshow will continue,or slide into oblivion. Has justice to the victim really been done?Robert Mulas,Corlette

Enough is enough. Women are absolutely sick of having,always,to be alert to the possibility of being attacked by a man. This is a man problem,not a woman problem. I am beyond incensed at the very high rate of sexual assault,violence and killing of women in Australia. Including the apparently targeted attacks at Bondi,more than 20 women have already been killed this year by angry men. All you good men who make up the vast majority of the male population,get out there. Organise yourselves,let those pathetic aggressive men know that killing and injuring women is cowardly. Shout loudly and show that you actually care enough to stop this wholesale war on women. Enough is enough.Judy Hungerford,Kew (Vic)

A damning but astute appellation;I nominate “omnishambles” for word of the year.Meredith Williams,Baulkham Hills

I thought theHerald’s front page said it all. And then I saw Wilcox.Liz Crosby,Darlington

There is so much about the sordid Bruce Lehrmann defamation case that has been gobsmacking. As the revelations kept coming,I continued to wonder what influence this senior staffer had and how this reflected on the quality of our government?Mark Tietjen,Redfern

As the Bruce Lehrmann soap opera continues,an obvious question – how did an unqualified person manage to get a senior position as a government adviser. Who did he know?Ross Hudson,Mount Martha (Vic)

You have to applaud the skill and judgement of Justice Lee in coming to the decisions that he did. Finally,after consuming thousands of pieces of evidence,he has given us a conclusion,hopefully,to this sorry mess of lies,deceit and grandstanding.Max Redmayne,Drummoyne

Thank you,Justice Lee,for being the voice of logic and reason. It’s the vindication that all Australians needed to hear,especially the women in this country.Daniela Catalano,Haberfield

Any chance of Justice Lee handling the Trump trials?Steve Taverner,Gulgong

Hate begets hate

As an Ahmadi Muslim,I was deeply disturbed by the recent knife attack on Bishop Emmanuel (“Joint counter-terrorism team to investigate Wakeley stabbing”,smh.com.au,April 16). Our heartfelt prayers are with him for a swift recovery. It’s imperative for our community to uphold social cohesion and harmony during this trying time. No religion condones such acts.Khizar Rana,Hyde Park

It is unfortunate that the church stabbing victim,Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel,has actually contributed to pain and division with continual messages of intolerance. His messages of clear opposition to other faiths and understandings,loud denunciation of diversity and against the LGBTQI+ community and stance as a COVID-19 vaccination sceptic will inevitably act as petrol thrown on the fire of community unrest,and what we have here is part of the fallout.

It could be that this is a reaction to religious hate speech delivered from the safety of religious privilege and fired into the community. Interfaith dialogue can be difficult to navigate,and some faith groups have no interest in working together,even within their own religious denominations. We are fortunate in regional Australia to have the legacy of past religious and cultural leaders,which builds a safer community.

The stabbing in Bondi Junction and the church are related to the state of mental health services,the power of social media and the volatile effect of polarising religious prejudice on young,vulnerable minds. We are looking forward to joining the Islamic Society of Albury-Wodonga and the Ba’hai community following a friendly invitation to celebrate their major religious festivals. As ANZAC Day approaches,perhaps we can redouble our efforts to foster peace and understanding across this land that increasingly sings anthems about being “one but many”.Fr Peter MacLeod-Miller,Anglican Rector of Albury

Solar solution

For those desperate to reduce power bills,solar panels provide part of the solution if one is willing and able to carefully control much of the power usage to periods when the sun shines (“High bills lead to demand for home batteries”,April 16). Battery storage spreads the usage time to 24 hours,but the $8000 plus cost is generally unaffordable,and it is unlikely to be dented significantly by government subsidies. A better option may be a solar hot water system or heat pump. These attract subsidies,cost less than a battery,run with high efficiency and the hot water tank provides the simple storage solution. With the combination of our modest solar panel array and a solar hot water system,two full-time occupants and occasionally six,paid a total quarterly bill of $8 in summer and partly due to cloudy conditions,a recent autumn bill of $60.Geoff Harding,Chatswood

As an owner of a solar system,panels and batteries,I can agree that it has made a difference to my energy consumption. However,the aspect of one’s power bill that is often overlooked is the service charge. When I received my bill recently,I found that I am charged $1.10 per day for the poles and wires that service my property. This is 40 per cent of my bill. Another way of viewing the costs dilemma perhaps?Dinah Kimbell,Speers Point

TheHerald editorial is right to point to the glaring hole in our transition plan to renewable energy – home batteries (Editorial,April 16). Even without subsidies,battery sales are picking up,but with the addition of government incentives,they would skyrocket,fixing the problem of the so-called “solar duck” (the excess output of electricity from rooftop solar in the middle of the day). Consumers would benefit by being able to use their own electricity to power their homes. The grid would also be stabilised by the addition of more storage. And,of course,emissions would fall as fewer people relied on the grid. It’s a win-win situation.Ken Enderby,Concord

Violence against women ‘systemic’

A quick perusal of today’s paper shows an alarming number of articles about disrespect for or violence perpetrated against women,including one about a trend of men randomly punching women on the streets of New York,as well as those about the Bondi Junction stabbing,the Bruce Lehrmann defamation case and Donald Trump’s sex cover-up case.

Along with focusing on mental health support,we need to have a serious go at a meaningful and nuanced conversation about the issue of violence against women,one in which we’re all prepared to have a good hard look at ourselves,our values,our family behaviour and our social norms,and where we’re willing to see our hard-earned money committed to achieving change. We need to develop programs to help men manage anger and acknowledge that the problem is systemic without implying that most men are violent or have anger-management issues. We need to stop pussyfooting around the issue with lots of programs based on unproved methods and throw ourselves at improving safety outcomes for women.Prue Nelson,Cremorne Point

Unpaid equals unfair

Millie Muroi’s article outlines some of the many new challenges facing students today (“Paying to work? That’s just absurd”,April 16). My three adult children all did student placements. Only one was paid for their efforts. My daughter worked in an organisation where the business model was based on the exploitation of students. Students were given minimal training and supervision yet were client-facing within several hours of placement. These clients were not aware the person in front of them was untrained and yet they were charged the full consultation fee. This is exploitation of both the student and the client. Government and most organisations now all have “modern slavery” policies,yet they fail to see the irony here. Not paying students for placements is a form of slavery. This practice should be outlawed. Students deserve payment where for the hours they work in placements.Warwick Spencer,West Pymble

Gone to pot

The suffering northern beaches has 64 potholes (“Sydney has hundreds of new potholes,with worse to come”,April 16)? The inner west 44? And my God,the tragedy of Hornsby,with 15! Here at Burns Rd,Springwood,we have more potholes than be easily counted along its two-kilometre stretch. Our fellow folk up the hill in the Megalong Valley have had their whole road taken out in a landslip and are now cut off,receiving helicopter drops of supplies. Anyone who wants to get in or out has to hike for several hours. Now that’s a pothole,you softies!Gary Stowe,Springwood

New direction

Linda Morris’ piece on the search for the next artistic director of the Sydney Theatre Company is important (“Will Sydney poach one of Melbourne’s leading creatives to fill a key job?”,April 9). Hopefully the board will advertise widely and interview as many applicants as possible. The STC deserves the best possible chance to recover from recent controversies. Theatre workers,theatre goers and,hell,the city itself deserve no less.Tony Llewellyn-Jones,Potts Point

Doctor love

I loved the article about the wonderful GP in his 90s still caring for patients. John is one of Australia’s oldest doctors. His recollection of patient care in the 1950s and ’60s was pertinent to my days as a trained nurse in London. Many of the treatments used in those times would be found to be laughable now – we kept patients in bed for six weeks post-heart attack;there were few cardiac monitors;ECG machines were big and cumbersome. There were no inhalers for asthma,no valium for seizures. I also remember the days when polio patients were nursed in “iron lungs”. What an amazing man,and so bright. We need more of his kind.Eira Battaglia,Seaforth