Australian Rotary Health
Supporting healthy minds and healthy communities
Our District Committee promotes better understanding of the work of Australian Rotary Health and encourages Clubs to engage in programs available to Tasmania and to support them financially
CHAIR: PP Lorraine Walker(Viv) D'Entrecasteaux Channel (H) 6229 8054 (M) 0447 298 055
COMMITTEE:
PAG Jeff Thorpe West Tamar
PP Lindsay Morgan Ulverstone West
PAG Anne Palmer Salamanca
PP Elaine Nichols D'Entrecasteaux ChannelAssist the fund by participating in the cycles of life.
See Cycles of Life 2009 --.Cycles of Life 2010
Mental health issues are no stranger to many Australians. They are issues that affect our friends, our
families and our community. In fact mental health issues are so prevalent it is estimated that they will affect more than 20 per cent of Australia's adult population at some stage of their lives.
In any one day, 330 people with serious mental illness will be turned away from hospital emergency departments, 1200 will be refused admission to a psychiatric unit and seven lives will be lost as a result of suicide – the leading cause of death and disability for Australians under the age of 45.
Pictured is Professor Ken Kirkby University of Tasmania who has received grants of $94 000 for Mental Health Research.
However, mental health is finally on the Government’s radar thanks to individuals like Australian of the Year Patrick McGorry, who took an 84,000 strong petition to the office of new Prime Minister Julia Gillard asking for the Government’s commitment to increase mental health funding. But while PM Gillard has left open the prospect of injecting more money into struggling mental health services, it is up to all of us to do our bit to help understand and support good mental health.
Australian Rotary Health is Australia’s largest non-government funding body for mental illness research. As such, it has pledged to invest in mental illness research in an effort to facilitate better treatment and services for all Australians. Thanks to the generous support of Rotarians Australia wide, Australian Rotary Health has been able to fund a number of projects that aim to improve the quality of life for people who are least able to assist themselves.
What do you know about mental health?
In 2008, 2,191 Australians committed suicide. Over three-quarters of them were male. 103 were Indigenous Australians.
While suicide accounts for only a relatively small proportion – around 1.5% - of all deaths in Australia, its impact on specific age groups is great. According to ABS statistics, in 2008 24% of all male deaths aged 15-24 were due to suicide. Females did not fare much better, with the median age at death for females who died from suicide just 43.5 years.
From a population of 21.4 million, the numbers may seem small. However, around 6,400 Australians die each year from mental and behavioural disorders, well above the 1,400 deaths attributed to transport accidents. We all know the importance of road safety, but how much do we know about caring for someone who has or is developing a mental health issue?
According to Professor Anthony Jorm and his wife Betty Kitchener, not enough. “First Aid courses teach you how to deal with emergencies like someone having a heart attack, or getting bitten by a snake,” says Tony. “However, these emergencies are not common. On the other hand, mental health problems and crisis situations like someone being suicidal are much more common,” he explains.
To address this issue, Tony and Betty began running Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) courses as a community service activity. Now, Australian Rotary Health, in conjunction with Rotary Clubs around Australia, are running their own preventative mental health first aid workshops that aim to assist in providing support to community members who are at risk of or who are experiencing a mental health crisis.
By supporting Australian Rotary Health, you can make a difference to your community by helping fund essential programs. To find our more please visit our website at www.australianrotaryhealth.org.au or call 02 8837 1900 for more information. All donations over $2 are tax deductible.
More information www.australianrotaryhealth.org.au or call 02 8837 1900
All donations over $2 are tax deductible.
Powerpoint Presentations suitable for Club Meetings