Mental Health A-Z

A person of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander descent who identifies as an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander.

Activity Based Funding (ABF) is a system for funding public hospital services where the health service providers (hospitals) are funded based on the activity they undertake; that is, on the number of patients treated and services provided. Australian Governments agreed to implement ABF under the National Health and Hospitals Reform Agreement 2012.

Affective disorders, or mood disorders, are a set of mental illnesses characterised by dramatic changes or extremes of mood. The main types of affective disorders are depression, bipolar disorder, and anxiety disorder.

A common mental illness, characterised by persistent and excessive worry, and ruminative thinking. Common physical symptoms include a racing heart, hot and cold flushes and a tightening of the chest. A person can feel so distressed it can make it hard for them to cope with and participate in daily life or take pleasure in activities.