WentWest Stories: Jayda’s Story
The burden of disease is the measurement used to calculate the impact of living with a particular health concern. Anxiety disorders are the leading cause of the total burden of disease for 15-24-year-old females [1]. The Youth Enhanced Support Service (YESS) is a holistic mental health program for 12-25-year-olds of all genders and cultural backgrounds run […]
WentWest Stories, headfyrst: Max’s Story
The headfyrst program is a collaborative service between the Salvation Army Youthlink and selected headspace Youth Mental Health Centres in Western and South Western Sydney. This innovative, free service helps 12-25-year-olds experiencing a dependency on alcohol and other drugs along with mental health issues. In Australia, data suggests that over a third of 15-19-year-olds are […]
Addressing Mental Health Literacy in Western Sydney
31 March 2022 One of the greatest barriers to patients seeking mental health support can be the stigma, or perceived stigma, around accessing care. Mental health literacy is fundamental to improving a person’s health outcomes and achieving equal access to care for people of all backgrounds. “Currently, too many people who go to their GP […]
A Safe Space to Discuss Mental Health
17 March 2022 Safe Space is a welcoming community environment that allows people experiencing suicidal ideation and psychological distress to access timely and responsive support. The centre is run by trained mental health specialists, peer workers and support workers, who promote the wellbeing of clients outside of a clinical setting. Safe Space is a walk-in […]
Psychiatry Support Line connects GPs to Expert Mental Health Advice
9 March 2022 What is the GP Psychiatry Support Line? The Western Sydney Primary Health Network, has recently commissioned a GP Psychiatry Support Line to help primary care professionals access expert advice to support their patients. The program is designed to connect all GPs within Western Sydney access to telephone support to receive expert psychiatric […]
WentWest Stories, Safe Space: Lorna’s Story
Safe Space is a welcoming community environment that allows people experiencing suicidal ideation and psychological distress to access timely and responsive support. The centre is run by trained mental health specialists, peer workers and support workers, who promote the wellbeing of clients outside of a clinical setting. Safe Space is a walk-in service for […]
Expanding Mental Health Services in Western Sydney
10 February 2022 Expansion of Primary Mental Health Care (PMHC) Service As of 1 February 2022, patients in Western Sydney can access almost double the number of free psychology sessions previously available. New funding to the Primary Mental Health Care (PMHC) service means that an additional 18,000 psychology sessions will be available to community members […]
Wellbeing in Aged Care
27 January 2022 In Australia, approximately 39% of all permanent aged care residents are living with mild to moderate depression[1]. As the average life expectancy increases and the number of Australians aged 65 and over rises, representing 13.3% of the population in June 2009 to 15.9% in 2018, more people will be utilising residential aged […]
WentWest Stories, Head to Health: Stephanie’s story
COVID-19 has had a significant impact on mental health in Australia, with lockdowns, job scarcity, financial instability and isolation all contributing factors to people’s wellbeing. Head to Health mental health clinics and referral line were established to support those whose mental health may be suffering as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The initiative […]
WentWest Stories, Head to Health: Susan’s story
COVID-19 has had a significant impact on mental health in Australia, with lockdowns, job scarcity, financial instability and isolation all contributing factors to people’s wellbeing. Head to Health mental health clinics and a referral line were established to support those whose mental health may be suffering as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The […]