[Greens-Media] ‘Cinderella of Mental Illnesses’ Borderline Personality Disorder Needs Specialised Service Unit in SA

[Franks, Office]

IMMEDIATE RELEASE October 10, 2014
‘Cinderella of Mental Illnesses’ Borderline Personality Disorder Needs Specialised Service Unit in SA

The Greens Mental Health Spokesperson Tammy Franks MLC and Kelly Vincent Dignity for Disability MLC will today call for a State-wide Specialised Borderline Personality Disorder Service (Unit) for SA.

Ms Franks, who will move a motion calling for better awareness of Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) in State Parliament next week, says:

“BPD is referred to as the ‘Cinderella of mental illnesses’ by mental health professionals because it is a complex mental illness and often misdiagnosed.

“At any one point in time, between 1 and 4 per cent of the general population experience BPD.

“Kelly Vincent MLC and I are calling for a State-wide Specialised Borderline Personality Disorder Service (Unit) to be established immediately in SA based on the strengths of Victoria’s BPD Spectrum service.

“People with BPD are likely to face additional discrimination, neglect and prejudice because the condition is not well recognised and we do not have a dedicated BPD service in SA.

“This call follows the key recommendation of the State Government’s An Overview of current delivery of Borderline Personality Disorder services in the public sector across South Australia and a proposed way forward report by Dr Martha Kent and Dr Prue McEvoy released this year,” Ms Franks concluded.

Tammy Franks MLC and Kelly Vincent MLC will be joined by Dr. Martha Kent- a well-known Adelaide psychiatrist and Ms Janne McMahon OAM, who is Patron, Australian BPD Foundation for a press conference at 11:00AM, Rundle Park Corner of East Terrace and Rundle Road.

Media Contact: Yesha Joshi 0457 549 938


________________________________

The information in this e-mail may be confidential and/or legally privileged. If you are not the intended recipient, access to it is unauthorised and any disclosure, copying, distribution or action taken or omitted to be taken in reliance on it is prohibited and may be unlawful.