General

Perspectives Newsletter - May/June 2015.The role of nutrition in both the origin and the management of mental health disorders is a rapidly growing area of research. Mental health disorders can be seen through the lens of a lifecourse perspective, which requires an integrated approach to management of exposure to risk factors, the delivery of preventive interventions, and the treatment of symptomatic disease. This article explores how nutrition is important across each of these domains.

Perspectives Newsletter - May/June 2015. This year, the Mental Health Carers Voice program has started hosting monthly drop-in sessions to provide carers with an avenue for sharing and exchanging information about the National Disability Insurance Scheme, which commenced in the ACT on 1 July 2014. This article explores a method of engaging with carers that has been trialled by Carers ACT ’s Mental Health Carers Voice program since January 2015. While the trial period is still in its early days, evidence suggests that monthly drop-in sessions are valuable for carers, service providers and policy makers.

This is an open letter to the Prime Minister, The Hon Tony Abbott MP , imploring the Australian Government to take urgent action to ensure continuity of services and programs for Australians who live with mental illness, and those who care for them. While the seventy signatories understand the Government will be formulating its response to the National Mental Health Commission’s Review of Mental Health Services and Programmes, the continued uncertainty is now resulting in staff attrition and service wind down. This issue has now reached crisis point.

Perspectives Newsletter - March/April 2015. Children living with chronic illness often have to manage symptoms and ongoing treatments that affect their health and lifestyle. Children and young people with chronic illness are also more likely to develop social, behavioural or mental health problems. However, some families feel they grow from the experience, with an ability to adjust in healthy ways – this is known as family resilience.