Damian Hill: How can the government help? What the funds and insurers are trying to do is use their distribution: industry funds cover about 8 or 9 million Australians. The average Australian has about three superannuation funds. We did some research* with SuperFriend: is a super fund a natural place for a young person to get this advice, and the answer came back, not surprisingly, no. (*Editor’s note: IFF & AIST Member Insurance Research, Sweeney Research April 2008)

But the research also showed we were a trusted financial institution, one of the most trusted institutions out there generally, compared to banks. (Super funds were in first place, in contrast to banks in 9th place.) If we did get the message out there on our web sites’ referral services, then that trust would continue over to that education material.

We put communications about SuperFriend in all our product disclosures, annual reports, and case studies. We try to get it out to employers as well: they’re key to this and they will have a greater OH&S obligation in the future in regard to mental health. It’s probably not recognised as yet and may not be mandated as yet, but it’s coming.

PatMcGorry: Mental Health First Aid is a program 100,000 people have been trained in. It gives lay people first aid skills in mental health. You’re not expected to be a clinician or a therapist, but it empowers ordinary people, especially people in the front line – hairdressers or police or teachers or whatever – basic skills when they come across distressed people.

MarkWoodward: It troubles me that it’s not being addressed. We’ve heard examples, lots and lots of examples of the various ways in which this is material and relevant, and yet four weeks ago I knew nothing about this. I wonder how many people like me, who aren’t in the bowels of this topic, know literally nothing about it. The government typically responds to the electorate: if the electorate doesn’t understand the need for it, then they’re not shouting for it. So it’s probably wrong to think that the government needs to respond to an issue, if nobody knows it exists.

The problem needs to be measured: this is an area of some serious issue. This brings me back to the role of CommInsure as an insurer or the insurance industry per se. Over recent times, the life insurance industry has realised the need to become more proactive in understanding and recognising that we can do better to prevent or mitigate or manage or control, rather than just receive a piece of paper that’s been filled out, check the conditions, pay money and hope for the best.