As lives get busier, with work, family and friends, it is well documented that the number of people seeking treatment for mental health is on the rise.

Statistics released by Beyond Blue on September 26 showed the number of people taking their own life had risen 9.1 per cent.

Based on Australian Bureau of Statistics data, that makes a total of 3128 people taking their own lives in 2017.

This equates to more than 8.5 deaths a day with 108,081 years of life lost. On average, a person who died by suicide in 2017 lost 34.5 years from their life.

The 2017 rate of 12.6 deaths per 100,000 is equal to 2015, when the highest rate in the past 10 years was recorded. A rate of 10.9 suicide deaths per 100,000 was reported in 2008.

It is important to note suicide is only one part of the mental health scale, which is wide and varied.

There are different conditions and each condition has levels of severity.

The Mental Health Council of Tasmania has called on the state government to step up action on its Rethink Mental Health Plan.

The peak advocacy group has expressed concern that measures made in that plan should be enacted quicker to ensure the health of Tasmanians was met in a timely way.

It is not a secret that our hospitals are dealing with an increase in demand of mental health patients.

The Launceston General Hospital has its ward 4K development under construction, which will include a mental health unit for adolescents.

Having a dedicated unit will ensure adolescents who need hospital care for their mental health will have a safe place for treatment.

However, mental health patients are in need right now; they can’t wait for the right facilities to be built. Interim measures do need to be put in place to ensure everyone who needs help can get it. Unfortunately, there is not a quick fix on mental health.