Expectations and Reality: The Lived Experiences of Australians with Psychosocial Disability Within the NDIS

Abstract

While Australia's National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) was founded on principles of choice and control, for people with significant mental health challenges (what the NDIS calls ‘psychosocial disability’) these ideals often remain elusive. Support systems continue to be fractured and in the context of ongoing policy reforms, it is vital to understand expectations people have of the scheme, alongside ongoing experiences. Drawing on semi-structured interviews with NDIS participants (n = 30) and informal/ unpaid carers (n = 18), this research explores these expectations and lived realities. Results showed that prior to engaging with the NDIS, participants had mixed expectations of the scheme, with a lack of information accessed and confusion about what the scheme could offer. For some, expectations were also formed in the context of acute mental illness. When expectations were expressed, these were often unmet, with interviewees reporting a lack of choice and control, frustrations with the system, a lack of appropriate services, and encounters with unscrupulous or underperforming providers. Findings should inform policy directions to better align Australia's mental health ecosystem with the realities faced by those it seeks to support. Strategies are required for planning and communication about what the NDIS offers participants to inform choice and control of needed supports.