WELL in the Wheatbelt campaign launches to improve mental health in outback WA
From workplace accidents to road deaths and drought, there is no shortage of tragedy in Western Australia’s outback.
Key points:
- WELL in the Wheatbelt is a new campaign to encourage conversations on mental health
- It comes after founder Elyssa Giedraitis’ 10-year battle with mental health issues
- Statistics show just 1 per cent of the population is accessing psychological support through Medicare
Just two weeks ago two people died in a road crash near Corrigin, and a 22-year-old farm worker was killed in a quad bike accident in Dandaragan last month.
But Wheatbelt businesswoman and mother of one, Elyssa Giedraitis, said nothing could prepare her for the impact mental illness would have on her community.
“In high school, you get all these presentations about drugs and road safety and you think that is going to be the biggest issue in your life, and that’s going to be the reason that people are taken away from you,” she said.
Elyssa Giedraitis says the initiative is designed to help people in her region.(Supplied: Elyssa Giedraitis)
“I don’t know anyone who’s died because of drugs … but there are four people who I have lost to suicide in the past four years.”
If you or anyone you know needs help:
- Suicide Call Back Service[1] on 1300 659 467
- Lifeline[2] on 13 11 14
- Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander crisis support line 13YARN[3] on 13 92 76
- Kids Helpline[4] on 1800 551 800
- Beyond Blue[5] on 1300 224 636
- Headspace[6] on 1800 650 890
- ReachOut at au.reachout.com[7][8]
- MensLine Australia[9] on 1300 789 978
Taking action
Ms Giedraitis has launched a WELL in the Wheatbelt campaign to support the mental health needs of the region.
She said it came after a decade of working to improve her own mental health.
“I know the stigma, I know how hard it can be to get support and access resources in the Wheatbelt,” she said.
She said she was surprised by the results of a mental health survey she conducted with residents.
“It found that 57.4 per cent of the respondents said they’d been diagnosed with anxiety, and 48 per cent had been diagnosed with depression,” she said.
“I knew the numbers were high, but I didn’t realise they were that high.”
Ms Giedraitis started a podcast as part of the project to encourage conversations about mental health.
Elyssa Giedraitis says half of the people she surveyed said they had been diagnosed with depression. (ABC: Chris Lewis)
In one of the episodes, Ms Giedraitis shared candid insights from anonymous farmers.
“The state of the agriculture industry is a big cause of mental stress for people in the Wheatbelt,” she said.
Broad issues
Suicide and depressive and anxiety disorders are having the biggest impact on the health of Wheatbelt residents between the ages of 15 and 44, according to WA Country Health Service statistics.
But WA Primary Health Alliance data shows only 1 per cent of the Wheatbelt residents are accessing clinical psychologists through Medicare.
Based in Narrogin, Rural Aid counsellor Roger Hitchcock said there were several reasons why people did not seek help.
“For some people when they hear the word counsellor or psychologist, there’s that fear of ‘I’m going to be diagnosed with something, that there’s actually something wrong with me’,” he said.
Mr Hitchcock said word-of-mouth referrals had helped break the stigma around mental health care, with Rural Aid’s counselling services in high demand.
“There is an increase across the board,” he said.
“[Conversations with counsellors] can be about whatever is happening at the time.
Roger Hitchcock says there is concern about the future of live sheep exports.(ABC Great Southern: Sophie Johnson)
“We had the Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Act, the live sheep export … I personally know people working in that industry and they’re worried.”
Mr Hitchcock said he would always have the utmost respect for people who admitted they were doing it tough.
“When someone rings me up [for counselling] that is such a strong, brave thing to do,” he said.
“The biggest thing is to just ask for help. It’s a strength, it’s not a weakness in any way.”
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References
- ^ Suicide Call Back Service (www.suicidecallbackservice.org.au)
- ^ Lifeline (www.lifeline.org.au)
- ^ 13YARN (www.13yarn.org.au)
- ^ Kids Helpline (www.kidshelp.com.au)
- ^ Beyond Blue (www.beyondblue.org.au)
- ^ Headspace (headspace.org.au)
- ^ ReachOut (au.reachout.com)
- ^ au.reachout.com (au.reachout.com)
- ^ MensLine Australia (www.mensline.org.au)