The aim of this thesis is to analyze mental health care in Australia from a social justice and human rights perspective, in order to demonstrate that social justice as a philosophical manifestation of justice and fairness, is an essential ingredient in the theory and practice of mental health care. It is contended that the needs of the mentally ill would be most appropriately answered by the utilization of a Natural Law model, based on Finnis’s Natural Law theory. The Scope of the Thesis.The needs and care of the mentally ill are discussed, together with the treatment meted out to these vulnerable members of society since, approximately, the year 1800. Neither the criminally insane, nor the intellectually disabled are included in this discourse. Each group of people merits a thesis on its own: criminal insanity requires a debate to include the history, psychiatric and legal approaches to the subject, and current management of the insane. The intellectually disabled are not mentally ill; their ability to function as all round, naturally competent individuals is diminished by an inadequacy and/or impairment of their intellectual capacities. The needs of these two groups are far too broad and demanding to be included within the current thesis. Rationale for the Timeframe The timeframe, 1800 until 2004, has been established because it approximates to the transition from the end of the Classical through the Modern Age to the Post Modern Age, together with the predominance of Enlightenment philosophical theories, and the development of a scientific approach to medicine. Further, many politico-economic and social changes were taking place, associated with the Industrial Revolution. All are shown to have affected the introduction of asylumdom, and the institutionalization of those unable to participate actively in the industrial workforce. Of significant importance to the development of institutionalization for such marginal groups is the philosophy of Jeremy Bentham. Bentham espoused Classical Utilitarianism which will be shown to believe that the ultimate standard of utility is not the individual’s happiness but the greatest amount of happiness altogether. The thesis will demonstrate that this philosophical view prevailed from the beginning of the Industrial Revolution, with Benthamism influencing the sequestration of the unemployable into institutional life. Development of the Thesis.The thesis is developed against a background of prevailing philosophical, and other changes as stated above, including the medicalization of mental illness and the development of psychiatry as a branch of medicine. There is manifestation of many social injustices to those incarcerated in the asylum in all three countries under consideration: England, USA, and Australia. It is demonstrated that social justice and human rights of their work forces were disregarded by many employers at the time of the Industrial Revolution. Such values were, therefore, unlikely to prevail with regard to the mentally ill. Asylumdom continued with few changes in its practices until after World War II. It is shown that the predominance of post Enlightenment theories, together with further politico-economic, social and pharmaceutical revolutionary change followed the Second World War. Encouraged also by the founding of the United Nations and World Health Organizations as well as provision of the Declaration of Human Rights, circumstances led to the process of de-institutionalization of the mentally ill. The latter were decanted with apparently unseemly haste into a community ill prepared for such a change, and with little evidence of infra- structure to support the move. Need to conduct a National Inquiry. There was, then, a need to investigate what was now an overt issue of mental health care. The two subsequent inquiries by the Australian Health Ministers Advisory Council, (AHMAC) and the Burdekin Report, both focused on social justice issues, and addressed epidemiological, economic, sociological and justice considerations. Within the thesis, both investigations are critiqued against a Natural Law model, using Finnis’s Natural Law theory. It is demonstrated that contrary to Enlightenment principles of social justice as described by Miller, such a theory is eminently practical, and answers the needs of all members of the community, providing not merely ‘the greatest happiness for the greatest number’ but the common good of all Conclusion. Evidence shows that such a Natural Law theory is required to give a firm foundation to the needs of the mentally ill, especially at a time when relativism, economic rationalism and negative aspects of globalization prevail. Without such a basis the mentally ill are left insecure, uncertain and adrift in a world uncaring of their plight, while all the earnest exhortations espoused by Reports remain platitudes, subject to the whims of whatever government is in power. Our responsibilities to all our fellow human beings demand better from us than this.

One in five Australians has a mental disorder and it is estimated that one in four families have a member who has a mental disorder. Since the 1960s there has been an 80 percent decrease in Australian institution-based mental health care. The majority of people who have a mental disorder are now treated in their local community and many of them live with their families. The change in the delivery of mental health care has seen the family emerge as one of the most important supports to their ill family member. While the changes in the delivery of mental health care have been based on human rights concerns, changes in mental health legislature, and economic factors, the multi-dimensional experience of being a primary carer of a person with a mental disorder remains relatively unexplored. The need for empirical evidence on the primary carer's experience is noted in both the scientific literature and from carers themselves and the principal aim of conducting this research was to address the identified need. This qualitative study, using grounded theory methodology, presents the findings of interviews with 27 primary carers and memos documented throughout the study. In addition, existing literature of relevance to the findings of this study is presented. A substantive theory of seeking balance to overcome being consumed is presented in this thesis. Using the grounded theory method the constant comparative analysis of data revealed that the basic social psychological problem shared by all participants was the experience of "being consumed". The problem of being consumed consisted of two stages: "disruption of established lifestyle" and a "sustained threat to self-equilibrium". Six conditions were identified as influencing participants' experience of being consumed. / In order to address the problem of being consumed, participants engaged in a basic social psychological process of "seeking balance". When participants were engaged in this process they moved from a state of being consumed to one whereby they established and consolidated a balanced life perspective that incorporated their caregiving role. The process of seeking balance consisted of three phases: "utilising personal strategies to reduce the problem of being consumed', "restoring self- identity", and "reaching out to make a difference". In addition, data analysis identified the presence of a three phase sub-process entitled "trying to make sense of what was happening". Phases one of the core and sub- processes occurred primarily in the period prior to the time when a psychiatric diagnosis was made on the affected family member. Participants became engaged in the remaining two phases of the core and sub-processes when they became aware that their affected family member had a mental disorder. At the time of being interviewed for this study some participants were not yet engaged in the final phase of the process of seeking balance. Participants' experience of seeking balance was not related to the length of their caregiving experience but rather to their experience of seeking balance and the conditions influencing that process. Four conditions were identified as influencing participants' experience of seeking balance. / This thesis presents the substantive theory of seeking balance to overcome being consumed. While the findings support existing scientific literature, the substantive theory also presents a new insight on caring from the primary carer's perspective. In particular, the findings challenge health professionals to actively pursue strategies to reduce carers' experience of being consumed. The findings of this study have implications for service provision and clinical practice, policy and planning, research, education, the general population, mental health consumers, and carers.