In Australia, there is arguably more mental health awareness now than ever before. This includes greater knowledge around the wide prevalence of certain conditions such as anxiety and depression, which has led to the commencement of a number of initiatives in recent times.
The launch of a Wellness Roadshow took place during Mental Health Week at Arts Centre Melbourne around the documentary The Show Must Go On, which delves into mental wellbeing in the entertainment industry. The film was conceived by former Home and Away actor Ben Steele (pictured), sparked by his own experiences of anxiety and depression after being written out of the show. This led him to interview 63 people from the industry, including actor Sam Neill and ballerina Benedicte Bemet, about their mental health.
The roadshow is supported by mental wellbeing organisations the Arts Wellbeing Collective and Entertainment Assist. Entertainment Assist have found in phase two of a research study that in the entertainment industry, the levels of moderate to severe anxiety symptoms are ten times higher and those of depression symptoms are five times higher than in the general population. Phase three findings are scheduled to be released this year.
Excerpts of the documentary were shown at the event. They highlighted that challenges in mental wellbeing were shared by all the interviewees. While the film focuses on this particular industry, it speaks to the shared humanity in mental wellbeing and therefore may contribute to the awareness-raising campaign for the Australian community more broadly. It is currently streaming on ABC iview.
The Wellness Roadshow was launched by Martin Foley MP, who referred to Victoria's Royal Commission into Mental Health, the first of its kind in Australia. The commission is due to release an interim report this November and the final report in the new year. The Commission has received over 2500 submissions and is led by Professor Patrick McGorry AO. It will focus on actions to change Victoria's mental health system for the better.
It will be important to see how it is implemented as well as how it deals with the relationship between mental and physical health that was highlighted in a study by the Lancet Psychiatry in July of this year. Notably, the last National Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing took place over ten years ago in 2007 with no further funding allocated for a follow-up survey.
It is recognised that Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) Communities in Australia have a significantly lower level of access to mental health care and support. The National Multicultural Mental Health Project led by Mental Health Australia, which focuses on mental health and suicide prevention for people from CALD backgrounds, is in progress and due for completion by 31 December 2020.
"There are small steps being taken to increase mental health awareness, to provide services that cater for the diverse needs of the Australian population and to promote mental wellbeing more broadly."
The project has included the development of Embrace Multicultural Mental Health, an online platform where both communities and services can access resources in 22 languages.
For women, according to a national survey, almost half had been diagnosed with anxiety or depression. The survey was conducted by Jean Hailes for Women's Health, the full results of which are due to be published this year. Experiences of anxiety are higher in women, with one in three women experiencing it in contrast with one in five men.
Further, an online, eight-week Wellbeing Course, developed by Macquarie University's Associate Professor Dear and Professor Titov, is supporting men with mental health concerns. It targets men from across Australia and allows for anonymity in order to encourage the participation of those who otherwise may not access services due to various reasons including stigma.
Considering that an average of six men die by suicide in Australia every day, this is a welcome initiative. While it has been widely recognised that the contributing factors to anxiety and depression are multiple, men are generally more reluctant to seek help, further highlighting the importance of these initiatives. The eCentreClinic is accepting applications for a course beginning on 11 November.
There is still a long way to go before Australian society is free of mental health stigmas and adequate services are funded and accessible. This is especially important for Australians who are at the intersections of multiple oppressions along race, class, gender and ableism lines, as well as those who are suffering the most severe mental illnesses.
Nevertheless, there are small steps being taken to increase mental health awareness, to provide services that cater for the diverse needs of the Australian population and to promote mental wellbeing more broadly.
Bree Alexander's words have appeared with Enchanting Verses, Westerly Magazine and Australian Multilingual Writing Project. Under pseudonym Lika Posamari, she was shortlisted for the Overland Fair Australia Prize 2018 (NTEU category) and published a poetry chapbook The Eye as it Inhales Onions.
Main image: Ben Steel in promotional image from The Show Must Go On.