This article was first published on news.com.au and has been reproduced here with permission.

Ben Pobjie is outspoken about his mental illness in public but finds it tough to talk about with friends and family.
[Image below courtesy of www.moodofmonk.com]

I want to tell you all about my struggles. But I don’t really know how.

How do you talk about depression? I don’t know. But of course I do know – I do it all the time. In public, speaking to an audience, I know exactly how to talk about depression.

I can speak about it easily to strangers, and I can write articles about my experience, and it’s all perfectly clear. Just be honest, be direct, and make it clear how important it is that depression is treated as an illness.

That’s the crucial thing, isn’t it? Depression is an illness, a medical problem, and we have to act accordingly. Anyone who speaks publicly about it will tell you: you wouldn’t tell someone with a broken leg to “just snap out of it”; you wouldn’t tell a cancer patient to “just cheer up”; why should you treat depression any differently?

You shouldn’t, of course. It’s just an illness, and that’s how you should treat it, and I will tell you that over and over and over again.

But I’m a hypocrite. Completely and utterly. A fraud. Because after all those fine-sounding words, I just don’t treat depression like any other illness. And in my experience, nobody else does either. And I still haven’t figured out why.

Why, when I get together with friends and family, can’t I talk about depression like a medical problem? There are medical problems more terrifying and dreadful than depression – heart disease, cancer, any number of vicious diseases that can change, and end, lives. But they don’t carry the stigma when it comes to conversation that depression does.

People with cancer can tell their friends they have cancer. It might be terribly upsetting for all concerned, but you won’t feel ashamed for having it, and you won’t be afraid of …

What? What am I afraid of? The fear seems amorphous, impossible to define. I don’t expect my family and friends to abandon me, or tell me to shut up, so what do I expect? I’m not sure. All I know is, I can’t call my sister and say, “My depression was playing up over the weekend.”

I can’t sit in the pub and describe my symptoms to a group of friends as if I’m telling them about the time I had my knee operation. I can’t announce to my workmates that I’m suffering a panic attack, the way I would if it was an asthma attack. It’s just too hard.

But why is this? Why is it so hard? It’s not like I deny that depression is an illness. I preach that gospel every chance I get. But I don’t practise it. Neither does anyone else I know. Saying it’s a medical issue is easy. Acting like it’s a medical issue is hard.

And I think that’s because when we say it’s an illness like any other, we’re in denial. We desperately want to believe it. We desperately hope that we can act like it’s a medical issue. And we desperately wish to be able to sit down with a friend and talk about our depression the way we’d talk about the flu. That would make things so much easier, because talking about it can make it easier.

I’ve eased my pain so often this way – but I’ve done it by blogging, writing, public speaking, talking about it to strangers more than my own friends and family. Somehow, broadcasting my mental illness to the world seems more natural than chatting about it over a cup of tea. It’s ridiculous.

But it just goes to show, depression is different. It’s not like having a cold or a stomachache. It’s not even like having cancer. It’s its own strange beast, undoubtedly an illness, but one that twists and distorts your brain so that you’re convinced it’s more than an illness.

For example, I’ve never heard of an MS sufferer who seriously considers the possibility that while everyone else suffers from MS due to a disorder of the nervous system, they personally suffer from it just because they deserve it.

But that’s exactly how I feel about my depression: I can’t shake the haunting possibility that for me, depression isn’t an illness; that I’m that one guy who suffers from depression just because I’m genuinely an awful person and I’m just smart enough to recognise it. That’s no everyday illness there.

Similarly, there is the issue of guilt. And the issue of shame. I suffer from horrific panic attacks, and equally horrific depressive episodes, where I sink into a mental pit and just sit there for a while, cursing myself. After any of these episodes, it is quite likely I’ll be overwhelmed by a wave of guilt and shame, a sort of second invasion force, securing the beachheads that the panic and depression first stormed. Guilt for the trouble and heartache I cause my loved ones, and shame for my weakness at succumbing to the illness. It’s awful.

Funnily enough, those feelings of guilt and shame don’t strike me following an attack of hayfever, or a bad headache. There’s no “why did you do that, you idiot?” attached to a bout of gastro.

No, depression is an illness, but it’s an extraordinary one. That doesn’t mean we can’t talk about it openly, without guilt or shame, but it will always be intensely difficult, and it’ll take a lot of work to get to that point. Not just individually, but as a society.

We need to reach a point where friends can talk about their depression without fear, and without stress, and without feeling like we’re drowning in awkwardness.

But right now we’re not there, and I can’t go around pretending being depressed is just another way of being sick. It’s a special category – it’s easier than other illnesses and harder, better to live with and worse, a minor inconvenience and an all-consuming, crippling burden.

And I would love to buy you a drink and tell you about it sometime. But first you’re going to have to tell me how.

To read more of Ben’s musings, visit his blog here and follow him on Twitter here.

If you or anyone you know, is experiencing  depression, immediate sources of help are listed on the MHFA website here.

It is currently National Youth Week (NYW) 2012 (13th – 22nd April). NYW is a great opportunity to celebrate young people in Australia by participating in events, sharing stories and showcasing their talents. The theme this year is ‘Imagine. Create. Inspire.’

In time for NYW, we thought we’d share with you a fantastic youth initiative called Live4Life.

Live4Life actively promotes positive mental health for young people in the community in the Macedon Ranges of Victoria. It results from a partnership between shire schools and community leaders (Macedon Ranges Shire Council and Cobaw Community Health Service).

Live4Life began in 2009 in response to a number of attempted suicides in the region during 2008. The project has been lucky to receive a $50,000 NAB Schools First Award, which has enabled them to further extend their program into the community.

This initiative has been changing attitudes of entire year levels ever since, according to the students themselves. One student (Bridgette) said that she and her classmates are now much more aware of mental health risks and how to help others. “At first we didn’t really know what it was all about. If someone said they were depressed you would probably just brush it off. Now that we’ve got the background information we know how to deal with it.”

The aim of Live4Life is to address educational requirements of the community relating to youth mental health and youth suicide. It is a year-long program offered to year 8 students at six colleges in the Macedon Ranges. Students are engaged in learning about mental health and mental illness, when to seek help, and how to help a friend. Additionally, the 14-hour Youth Mental Health First Aid course is offered to teachers as well as parents and carers associated with Live4Life schools.

In March this year, our very own Claire Kelly (the Youth MHFA Program Coordinator) attended the 2012 Live4Life program launch. Here she shares her experience with us…

Live4Life 2012 Launch
Claire Kelly, YMHFA coordinator

On Monday March 19, at Sacred Heart College, Kyneton, I addressed two groups of year 8 students – over 600 in total, from six local high schools, for the 2012 launch of the very successful Live4Life initiative.

It was a wonderful morning for the students of all six schools. First up was a welcome from their year 10 Live4Life Crew, who acted as the support team for the day. These young people are leaders in their schools and represent the student ‘face’ of Live4Life. They also performed admirably in the daunting task of shepherding 600 year 8 students and a bunch of confused grownups around Sacred Heart’s beautiful campus. The Deputy Mayor of the Macedon Shire Council, Councillor Henryka Benson, and Principal Craig Holmes of Sacred Heart College, also welcomed the students and guests.

Students were then divided into two groups. Half enjoyed a presentation from the Playback Theatre Company, an innovative company doing educational improvisational theatre. Students were given the opportunity to outline a difficulty they were having at home or with friends and the actors role-played possible solutions (I hope I never have to follow such an exciting act again!). The other half received a brief talk from me about mental illness during adolescence, and then they swapped over.

The day was well received by the students, who are now clambering to be part of the Live4Life crew in 2013.

The success of an initiative like this depends on it responding to a need identified by the community and being delivered in the way the community needs it. The Live4Life program is a model of success for such initiatives.

Want to know more?

Live4Life Initiative: www.live4life.org.au
Contact the coordinator (who is also a Youth MHFA Instructor), Pauline Neil directly at pneil@mrsc.vic.gov.au

NAB Schools First Awards: www.schoolsfirst.edu.au

Melbourne Playback Theatre: www.melbourneplayback.com.au

It’s National Youth Week – heaps of events are taking place all over Australia, including live entertainment/dances and festivals, sporting events and various artistic and creative events. Find out what’s going on in your area here!

The 2012 Melbourne International Comedy Festival (29 March – 22 April) officially kicked off last night. So we thought we’d take this opportunity to reflect on the positive benefits of humour.

Humour, a form of play that crosses cultures, is a universal part of being human. Humour can serve many purposes, like reducing stress, defusing tension, revealing the absurdity of human behaviour, and increasing wellbeing (Martin, 2007).

The physiology of laughter is still, thankfully, something of a mystery, but some of it is known. Laughter activates the part of the brain that produces adrenaline, giving us a lovely heady buzz, as well as parts of the brain that control other aspects of emotion.  Have you ever found yourself going from a reluctant giggle to a full-throated chuckle until you have tears streaming down your face? How did you feel afterwards, compared to before?

Here at MHFA headquarters in Melbourne we are lucky enough to have recruited a new MHFA Admin Assistant who is also a comedy writer.  We introduce Louise Woodruff Sanz … Louise imparts her hot tips for ‘must sees’ at the festival. However, no matter where you are, we encourage you to seek out and support your local comedy scene and explore the benefits of humour  firsthand.

Hi – this is me now … Louise.

Comedy, even when not specifically dealing with mental health, explores those little things that affect us each and every day … And they say laughter is the best medicine but I’m pretty sure that, statistically speaking, penicillin may have a stronger argument. But in an attempt to try and gain the upper hand, once a year we are encouraged to get together by way of comedy festivals to have a good old laugh, the most recent being the Melbourne International Comedy Festival.

I’ve gone through the guide for our readers and hand-picked some of the best of the fest (a quick disclaimer I follow a lot of these comedians on Twitter so that means we’re tight).

Judith Lucy returns with Nothing Fancy. Its straight stand-up, lots of jokes. Literally it is nothing fancy so let’s move on. Lawrence Mooney in Lawrence of Suburbia explores the minutia of suburbia in his show and if you do not wee yourself when you see this you have no soul. Tim Ferguson has MS and he’s written a show about it. If you haven’t seen him since his ‘Don’t Forget Your Toothbrush’ days, now is the time.

Fresh from best show nominations at the Adelaide Fringe is Felicity Ward with a show called The Hedgehog Dilemma. If you’re cool with a metaphor for a title and won’t get caught up in that there are no hedgehogs in the show you’ll really like this. And Sammy J and Randy in The Inheritance. They pretty much win something every year so why not see an award winner before they win an award. Other local acts include Celia Pacquola (LAID), Claire Hooper (Good News Week), Die Rotten Punkte (faux German brother and sister band), Alison Bice and Jason Marion in Child Star and Geraldine Hickey in Turns Out I Do Like Sun Dried Tomatoes.

If you’re budget savvy and want to cram as much into nothing you should get along to Rob Hunter – Late O’Clock with Rob Hunter, or Upfront – a massive line up of ladies telling jokes, go and see it, it’s real. It exists. We exist. And every Tuesday night of the festival you can pay about $12 and see 10 comedians back to back in a club. Everyone wins! Also worth checking out is Deadly Funny which is a line up of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander comedians on stage for one night only.

Some overseas acts worth checking out: Simon Amstell (UK TV show ‘Pop World, that’s recommendation enough), Simon Munnery and Francesca Martinez in What the F**k is Normal! Reloaded.

As a comedian, I think that laughter strengthens the immune system, boosts your energy, and helps you to protect against stress. It releases endorphins – your body’s ‘feel-good’ drugs! I asked some of my MHFA colleagues what they thought too:

Betty Kitchener, Director of MHFA Program
“For me, comedy is a form of stress relief.”

Nataly Bovopoulos, MHFA Program Manager
“I often find that laughing at my own mistakes, regrets or sorrows can almost instantly make me feel better. When you think about it, humour, and laughing is probably one of the most pleasant and low risk coping strategies out there! We all ought to try and laugh out loud once a day.”

Dr Claire Kelly, Youth MHFA Coordinator
“Some interesting food for thought – babies laugh about three hundred times a day. Adults laugh about twenty times a day. We become more serious as we age and observe the imperfect world around us. But perhaps as adults we have more need of laughter than ever. Perhaps we should all strive for better balance.”

Katherine Birt, MHFA Admin Assistant
“Someone once said to me that it is difficult to share pain and that no-one can ever really experience others pain, but we can share in laughter … In being something that we can readily share with each other, it allows us to connect.”

What is it about laughter and comedy that makes you feel good? Please share your thoughts by commenting below …

This week in the lead up to Valentine’s Day, an occasion mainly associated with heterosexual romantic ideals, popular Australian comic Magda Szubanski publicly announced that she is gay.

She called for greater respect towards homosexuals and highlighted the struggles many gay people experience. Her announcement followed controversial comments earlier this year on homosexuality and marriage equality by sporting legend Margaret Court (see Headspace’s CEO Chris Tanti’s response to those comments here).

Szubanski, in an emotional and heartfelt TV appearance, discussed how, despite having a supportive family, she experienced emotional problems including suicidal thoughts as she came to terms with her sexual identity.

Like Szubanski, many lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex and questioning (LGBTIQ) individuals struggle with their identity, to be accepted by their families, friends and the greater community, and can experience stigma, disadvantage, denigration and abuse due to their sexual orientation. And unfortunately, statistics show that people who identify as LGBTIQ are consequently at higher risk of anxiety, depression and related issues such as substance misuse, and are also at greater risk of attempting or completing suicide.

Indeed, a 2008 report Feeling Queer and Blue, found people who report being gay or bisexual have higher levels of anxiety disorders (31.5 per cent vs. 14.1 per cent), mood disorders (19.2 per cent vs. 6 per cent) and substance use disorders (8.6 per cent vs. 5.0 per cent) than people who report being straight.

LGBTIQ women and men at any age are at risk, though it appears to be higher for young men.  We know little about the risk profile for people from culturally linguistically diverse and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander backgrounds, who also identify as LGBTIQ individuals. Stigma, discrimination and the isolation experienced by LGBTIQ people, because of their sexual orientation, are known contributors to poor mental health.

A positive point to focus on is that these issues can be prevented. We also know there are effective strategies to support LGBTIQ individuals when they are experiencing mental health problems.

For example, social support from peers, friends and families can protect against symptoms of depression. Building community mental health literacy with training has been shown to decrease stigmatising attitudes and increase the support that friends, families and colleagues can provide to others. Combating homophobia and discrimination in the general community is also a common sense approach to preventing suicide and mental health problems within the LGBTIQ community.

There is much work already occurring in Australia to address some of these issues, including that done by beyondblue, LGBTIQ Health Alliance’s mental health and suicide prevention project MindOUT, and the myriad of state and community based efforts (here are just a few we have recently compiled on twitter, also see here).

From Mental Health First Aid’s (MHFA) perspective, we have recently responded to the call for resources that can address the need for community mental health education, specifically adapted to the needs of LGBTIQ individuals developing mental health problems or experiencing mental health crises. Not only is there a need to increase the capacity of the general community to respond appropriately to LGBTIQ individuals with mental health problems, we also need to build capacity directly within the LGBTIQ community and the organisations who provide services for them.

It takes much courage for individuals like Magda Szubanski to talk about very personal and private issues, like sexual identity and mental health, in the public domain. To prevent mental health problems and suicide being part of the equation when we discuss sex and sexuality, we require leadership from the community to step up and speak out. We therefore thank Magda Szubanski for her incredible courage and pledge to do all that we can, here at MHFA, to improve the mental health and wellbeing of LGBTIQ communities.

Johnathan Link is an accredited Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and Youth Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) Instructor. Johnathan works for the Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS) in QLD. As you can see from the images in this post, Johnathan aims to reach a variety of groups in his training including high risk youth, welfare system clients, community members and individuals, and people working in remote areas.

Read on for more on his journey with the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander MHFA Program.

Pictured above. Left – Younger AMHFA course participants from a Wellbeing Centre in Coen, far northern QLD. Right – Remote area indigenous staff from Centrelink Cairns attending an AMHFA course (Johnathan pictured in green – front row on left).

MHFA: What made you decide to become a Mental Health First Aid Instructor?

Johnathan: After working for over five years in the Cape York region as a Community Liaison and Development Officer (Mental Health) and counsellor, there were no other indigenous staff members in the Royal Flying Doctor’s Service (RFDS) who were accredited to instruct the Aboriginal Mental Health First Aid (AMHFA) course. So I approached management for their support to become an instructor. I won a scholarship and achieved my accreditation at a 5-day AMHFA Instructor Training Course held in Darwin, in 2008. It seemed relevant to have another skill set under my belt to assist in early intervention and prevention processes and to support others during a crisis or dilemma, and to teach others these skills through conducting the 14-hour AMHFA course.

What previous experience in mental health did you bring with you before becoming an Instructor?
In the past I have provided personal development packages as a consultant in areas such as counselling, community liaison and development, and mental health. For five years I delivered social/mental health education and mental health promotion activities, on a regular basis, with an emphasis on a strengths based approach for empowerment and cultural safety for identity to Aboriginal communities in Cape York.

What was it like training to become an Instructor?
I enjoyed the Instructor Training Course as I developed new skills and learning techniques. I also enjoyed the opportunity to hear from others about their journey to becoming an Instructor. After being a senior (physical) first aider for many years, I realised that people endure stressful moments in their life and having the Instructor accreditation enables support to people in a critical phase of uncertainty. I have encouraged many of the indigenous staff working in their community to become AMHFA Instructors as it has been a good journey for me.

What groups in the community attend your courses?
The majority of participants are indigenous. At some workshops there have been people who have married into Aboriginal families and who want to learn more, particularly about some of the cultural aspects such as Lore, Customs and Belief systems (not excluding peoples from CALD backgrounds that live and work in our remote indigenous communities). Couples tend to want to learn more so they can help other family members and the community.

How do you promote your courses?
There are several mechanisms that I utilise to promote my AMHFA courses, such as posters, newsletters articles, internal emails, networking and radio interviews with locals about what I am offering to community.

What has been the best thing about becoming a Mental Health First Aid Instructor?
Rolling out the most workshops in Cape York and partnering with key indigenous Instructors and organisations. Meeting regularly at the Annual MHFA Instructors Conference and yarning about what works well as a health professional. The accreditation has also enables me to travel to other remote locations in Australia. I am looking forward to the day I receive Master Instructor status (after I conduct my 30^th AMHFA course).

What do you hope the MHFA Program achieves in the future?
A true accreditation process whereby it shouldn’t matter how many you do in one year, as long as you are passionate about it. This program could be rolled out in schools, learning institutions and sporting groups.

Do you have a website?
No, but you could send me an email at: jlink@rfdsqld.com.au

Pictured below. Left – Kowanyama Rangers from Western Cape York reading their AMHFA Manuals during a course. Right – Riversleigh station manager and his wife (both in blue) attending an AMHFA course at Lawn Hill.

For many people, the words ‘Facebooking’ or ‘Tweeting’ are associated with people sharing photos of what they did on the weekend or the type of breakfast cereal eaten this morning. For others, it’s something they feel they ‘ought’ to be getting onto to help promote their business, but feel they don’t have the time to learn what it’s all about and what’s really in it for them. In short, social media sites can be both inane and incredibly useful, because they are medium for sharing any kind of information and connecting with others.

About 9 months ago, Mental Health First Aid Australia made its first experiment with social media, joining Facebook and Twitter. We had found that previous strategies of trying to connect Instructors with each other such as a using a web forum were becoming outdated, and as an international program we needed more direct ways to engage Instructors, organisations and the broader community. With more people using social media sites now than traditional media sources, we took heed of the advice of ‘going to the people.’ So far the experiment has been a success, and along the way some of our highlights have been engaging in interesting conversations, walks down memory lane and experiencing many a feel good moment hearing positive news from others.

Since we are now so enthusiastic about the role social media in the mental health sector, and have also started blogging, we thought we’d share some tips of what we have learnt. This post is directed primarily towards Mental Health First Aid Instructors who may be ‘sitting on the fence’ to let them know what the advantages might be for using social media for professional purposes (we’ll leave the commentary on advantages of sharing what we have for breakfast to someone else!). We know many of you are already very savvy social networkers, so please share any useful tips or resources you know too.

LinkedIn

LinkedIn is a business minded social networking tool, that with 120 million members, although not as far-reaching as Facebook, provides a platform for professional networking in their words helping you “exchange knowledge, ideas, and opportunities with a broader network of professionals.”

The advantages of connecting with others via LinkedIn

When you meet someone for the first time at a networking event, you can look them up and see their profile, which gives you much more background information about them than their business card usually does. You can look people up, not just by name, but by company, location, industry, key words. Once connected to that person, you can also see what connections they have. You may find that you have a lot of contacts in common, even though you may have just met. You may find that they know someone who works for an organisation that you have been trying to get in touch with. You can’t always contact someone directly, but you can ask your contact to make an introduction for you.

How to get started

• Create your profile. Watch this useful how to video for a step-by-step guide to creating a LinkedIn profile. You can list as little or as much information about your employment and education history. A public profile is very useful if members of the public or organisations are searching on the internet for further information about you in regards to your work as an MHFA Instructor.  LinkedIn individual searches do tend to rank highly on search engines.

• Connect with others. You will find that you probably know a lot of people using LinkedIn already, and you can easily import your existing email contacts who are using LinkedIn. It’s up to you if you use LinkedIn to only connect with people you know through work or to also make connections with professionals working in similar areas. To connect with other Mental Health First Aid Instructors search for “Mental Health First Aid” in the search box in the top right hand corner and search through the results.

• Join groups. There are thousands of LinkedIn groups you can join depending on your interests. For example typing in a search for ‘mental health education’ yielded 59 results. Make sure to join the Mental Health First Aid Australia group and the MHFA Australia Instructors subgroup to post and find discussion topics, job opportunities, promote your courses and connect directly with group members. Joining groups often allows you to make direct contact with another member of the same group.

• Ask for and write recommendations. You can approach former or current supervisors, colleagues or clients to write recommendations on your work performance. These recommendations are then listed publicly on your profile and can be very useful, particularly if you are an Instructor sourcing new opportunities to conduct courses with employer or industry groups.

• Be active. LinkedIn will be as useful a tool as the energy you put into it. Try and log in regularly to see what your connections are up to, contribute your expertise or experience in group discussions, write occasional status updates on your activities as an MHFA Instructor and seek professional advice/recommendations from others.

Facebook

Generally Facebook is best set aside to keep in touch with friends and family. However in saying this (given that with over 800 million active users it is by far the most widely used social media site), for those MHFA Instructors running their own business, there are a number of Facebook tools that can be useful professionally to promote your work and upcoming courses.

The advantages of using Facebook pages

Facebook pages are used to promote businesses, non-profits, celebrities and artists to Facebook users. Usually users can see activity on the Facebook page wall before they click ‘like’ in order to interact with you. Facebook groups are closed groups and have slowly been phased out by Facebook. They are really only useful for discussing shared interests or for clubs. Facebook profiles are designed for use by individuals, and not for ideal for business promotion as users will have to add you as a Friend before they can interact with you which entails a greater level of ‘commitment’.

Some advantages to Facebook pages are that –

• They are indexed by search engines like Google meaning it is easy for people to search and find your business
• They can be administered by multiple users if you want to share the load
• You can analyse traffic to your page
• There is no limit to the number of ‘likes’ your page can receive
• You can have a custom URL once you reach 25 ‘likes’ e.g., www.facebook.com/mindwisetraining

Tips to get started

Read through this step by step guide to help you set up your Facebook page.

If you have a website already set up for your business, you can use your Facebook page to try and direct traffic to fresh content on your website and vice/versa. Remember just like LinkedIn, the trick is to keep your Facebook page fresh with new content that is optimised for sharing.

Here are some examples of content you could post:

• details on upcoming courses,
• links to blog posts and news items,
• testimonials from participants,
• photos and videos
• discussion topics and questions on relevant topics to your work.

Remember to keep your content short and concise – so that is can be easily and instantly used by others to pass around. Like any social networking site, Facebook is about two-way communication, so be prepared to be prompt in your responses to comments and posts from users. You will gain more likes if you are seen to be engaging others, and responding to both positive and critical feedback, rather than simply using Facebook as free advertising space.

Promoting your page

One of the most important first steps is to add a link from your website to your Facebook page. Suggest the page to friends and ask that they do to the same. It will grow slowly at first but be patient and people will come!

Make sure to like the Mental Health First Aid Australia Facebook page www.facebook.com/mentalhealthfirstaid. Join in discussions, ask questions and share an upcoming course or recent news mention with the MHFA community to direct users to your page.

Twitter

Twitter is a micro-blogging site where users send out updates, photos, links and videos limited to 140 characters at a time. Twitter is probably the most time-intensive social networking tool but in many ways the most powerful. The relevance for MFHA Instructors is very broad. For example,

• You can create saved searches for any mention to Mental Health First Aid or Youth Mental Health for example to keep abreast of discussions and news items.
• Follow organisations and individuals working in mental health to create new professional connections.
• Obviously the main appeal is promoting your business. Link to new events featured on your website and to your latest blog post to drive traffic to your website.
• Connect with not only people working in the sector, but consumers and carers by participating in regular ‘tweetchats’ about mental health issues for example MHSM Chat and Rural Mental Health.

Tips to get started

Some tips for using Twitter once you have set up your account. Twitter is probably the most technical of social networking sites so don’t worry if it takes you a little while to get your head around it. Keep persisting and do google searches on anything you’re unsure of or simply ask another Twitter user for help.

• Follow as many people as possible. Search for names you already know, or search for people using hashtags such as #mentalhealth or #mentalhealthfirstaid. Follow the people that follow someone you like. More than any other social networking site, you’ll find you will gain followers relatively quickly. Also when someone follows you it’s generally polite on twitter to follow them back.
• Tweet on professional themes mainly, but also let your personality out too, share what you’re reading, ask for advice on something, comment on a news topic etc.
• Retweet a lot, to share other people’s ideas. This will also encourage people to retweet your posts.  Make sure to thank others when they do retweet, preferably via a private message.
• Tweet frequently but don’t go overboard in one sitting as this will clog up people’s feeds. Space your tweets out.
• Think of twitter as a cocktail party at a conference where you are mingling with people and organisations who share similar interests to you. Balance out your own self-promotion with engaging others and sharing their news just as you would if these were face to face interactions.
• Follow MHFA Australia’s twitter account, say hello and let us know when you have news so we can retweet it for you.

More reading:

• Useful glossaries of social media terms here and here
• Still stuck? Check out this 101 guide to Facebook, LinkedIn, Google+ and Twitter
• Some social media do’s and don’ts.

Christmas and New Year’s mean different things to different people.

For some, Christmas is a religious holiday. For others it’s the social season. For a lot of us, at the very least, it means getting together with family or friends and celebrating, and this can often be difficult for many reasons including existing relationship, financial or work hardships. For those struggling with a mental health problem it can be even harder. However there are things you can do to keep a lid on your own stress, to help out a friend or family member who is struggling, or to reconnect with someone you haven’t had contact with in a while.

Keeping your own celebrations stress-free

There is enormous pressure to make Christmas ‘perfect’. Advertising in shopping centres and on television tells us we need a table overburdened with a variety of gourmet foods, a tree groaning with decorations and a huge pile of gifts.
The pressure to make the perfect family Christmas is unrealistic for a number of reasons. First, it can bring out our inner perfectionist – if we can’t make Christmas all we want it to be, it can be disappointing. Second, for those who can’t be with the people they want to be with, they can feel like they are missing out. Third, spending a lot of money, particularly if relying on credit, can increase stress well into the New Year.

This year, why not try focussing on different things?

• Keep the food simple like having a BBQ, or if the budget will stretch, eat at a restaurant that will be open Christmas Day so you same time on the cooking and cleaning up.
• Agree on a small set amount to spend on gifts. If your family, or the people you are celebrating with are all adults, consider making a donation to a cause you all support and agree that this will be your gift to each other.
• Let Christmas be a day where you are kind to yourselves and each other. Try not to place unreasonable demands on yourself or the people you are celebrating with to make the day ‘perfect’.
• Ask yourself what is really significant about Christmas for you and the people you are celebrating with, and focus on enjoying that aspect of the day.
• Avoid drinking too much alcohol as this increases the chances for arguments to break out and you might feel ashamed or embarrassed later on.

If you’ve had a hard year yourself, this is especially important. If you’ve experienced bereavement, the first Christmas without someone you care about can be very difficult. Reach out and ask for support.
Christmas can also stir resentments and people may find themselves quick to anger or argue with others. Try to set aside ongoing disagreements aside for the day, if you can and try sitting with relatives or friends that you enjoy spending time with at Christmas lunch.

Supporting a friend or family member

For someone who has just begun to get help for a mental health problem, who has been experiencing more symptoms than usual, or is in recovery from a mental illness, the hype of the ‘silly season’ can place additional strain. Christmas can also be a period when there are a lot of triggers for relapse. Reach out and offer a listening ear or a helping hand if you know someone who may be struggling.

• For people with depression or anxiety disorders, or any other mental health problem, the pressure and changes to the usual routine can bring about a worsening or relapse. If you can make yourself available to be a support, reach out and make the offer.
• For people who have struggled with alcohol or other drug use problems, Christmas parties, where alcohol is readily available, can make it hard to keep on track. If you are having a Christmas party of your own, think about making it an alcohol-free event. If this doesn’t suit you, make sure there are plenty of non-alcoholic drinks available. Try mixing your own fruity ‘mocktails’ – beautifully garnished non-alcoholic drinks which have a festive feel.
• For people with eating disorders, and those who are in recovery, the sheer amount and variety of food which is often present at Christmas events can be very difficult to cope with. Don’t comment on what the person does or doesn’t eat. Don’t comment, positively or negatively, on changes in shape, weight or appearance either as these comments can reinforce the importance of body shape and weight and could make the person self-conscious about their food intake. Try to do activities that bring people together as the focus of your Christmas celebrations, such as a game of cricket, swim at the beach or other family ritual, rather than food.
• If you know someone who is struggling with mental health problems and will be alone this year for Christmas, think about inviting them to join you on the day, or if you are able to, visit them. Christmas can also be a real struggle for someone who has experienced grief or loss in the last year. They may really appreciate your efforts to include them.

A time to reconnect

RUOK? Day was in September, but that doesn’t mean you can’t reach out now. Is there someone you haven’t seen in a few months? Even longer? Christmas can provide the perfect excuse to reach out to someone who has been off your radar for a while.
A simple way to make contact is to pick up the phone and call someone you haven’t seen (try to refrain from the temptation to send a text message instead!). You could also send them a Christmas card or an email to let them know what’s going on in your life and let them know you’re curious about what’s going on in theirs. Knock on a neighbour’s door and invite them over for a cup of coffee and a slice of fruitcake in the days after Christmas.

Hopefully, you will find some time and space to put some of these strategies into place and they help. You may even have some ideas of your own about making Christmas a little easier – please share them with us in the comments.

Wishing you, your family, and everyone you care about, a happy, healthy and safe Christmas and a terrific 2012,

The Mental Health First Aid team

teen Mental Health First Aid coordinator Dr Laura Hart comments on yesterday’s Coronial Inquest finding and its implications for mental health first aid training.

The findings of the Coronial Inquest into the police shooting of Melbourne teenager Tyler Cassidy were handed down yesterday. Coroner Jennifer Coate ruled that “there was an urgent need for training to focus on how to deal with vulnerable young people like Tyler” (see yesterday’s story at The Age.)

15-year old Tyler Cassidy was fatally shot by police officers on the night of the 11^th December, 2008. Prior to police arriving on the scene, Tyler had been behaving erratically, drinking, and had acquired two knives from a nearby store, the weapons which he used to threaten four police officers who attended the scene.

In 2010 a 36-day Coronial Inquest was conducted to uncover the events leading up to Tyler’s death and to assess the context in which the teenager was fatally shot. Professor Patrick McGorry of Orygen Youth Health attended the inquest to give expert evidence on youth mental health crises. In response to his suggestions that the police could have managed the situation differently, and perhaps without fatal consequences if they had received the correct training, Victorian Legal Aid made a submission to the inquest. They called for Victoria Police to institute a compulsory training module to educate police about:

• the cognitive and neuropsychological development processes of a young person,
• identifying a young person,
• identifying a range of states of crisis and mental disturbance,
• the effect of drugs and alcohol on a young person,
• a range of approaches to safely and effectively respond to and manage operational situations involving a young person in crisis.

While handing down the findings of this inquest, yesterday, Coroner Coate rejected the idea that Tyler had been seeking “suicide by cop” and exonerated the officers from any wrong-doing, but did find fault in police training, on which, she found, the four officers were relying during the critical incident. Coroner Coate stated that Tyler’s death should forever be a “clarion call” to Victoria Police and that three officers who fired on the 15-year-old had “acted within the limitations of their training”.

This finding has important ramifications for the Mental Health First Aid Training and Research Program (MHFA) as it highlights the need for broad community training in warning signs of psychological distress, developing mental illness and suicidal behaviours.

In fact, some social commentators have said that some members of the Victorian Police Force are “challenged on how to handle persons with whom they come into contact who are suffering from mental illness” (see the post on ABC’s Drum today).

In response to the findings of the inquest Tyler Cassidy’s mother, Shani, today stated that she was “relieved that the Coroner found that Tyler did not deliberately take his own life but it distresses me greatly that on the night of his death Tyler was in crisis and clearly needed help” (her full statement here).

We know from scientific evaluations of MHFA training that when family, friends and first responders, be they police, medical professionals or lay people, have training in recognising warning signs of psychological distress and de-escalation techniques, they feel more confident in recognising when people are at risk. They are also more confident in approaching individuals in a mental health crisis, such as the agitated behaviour and distress Tyler Cassidy was showing prior to his death, in a more supportive way. The 14-hour Youth MHFA course is a particularly appropriate training program for this purpose, as it covers all aspects that Victorian Legal Aid states should be addressed in a mandatory training course for police officers. Youth MHFA is in fact appropriate for any adult wanting to learn more about how to recognise mental illness in vulnerable young people and how to engage with them in a non-threatening manner.

MHFA has provided training to Victoria Police staff, to develop their knowledge and awareness of mental illness, and to develop skills in how to assist people experiencing a mental health crisis. Victoria Police conducted the Standard 12-hour MHFA course to develop their officers’ knowledge of mental illness in the community, which was well received by staff. It is not known whether the officers involved in Tyler’s case had received MHFA training.

As yet, MHFA training is not mandatory in Victoria Police, though it is hoped that police forces across the country heed Coroner Coate’s warning and systematically integrate training in mental health first aid strategies for police officers. MHFA therefore welcomes Coroner Coate’s finding that training in how to effectively respond to vulnerable young people in crisis, such as MHFA training, may avoid future events such as the tragic death of Tyler Cassidy.

More information on MHFA training can be found on the “Find a course” page of the website www.mhfa.com.au

About the author: Dr Laura Hart is the teen Mental Health First Aid Coordinator at the Mental Health First Aid Training and Research Program.

Nicqui Yazdi is a Master Standard and Youth Mental Health First Aid (YMHFA) Instructor (which means she has conducted 30 plus MHFA courses). We asked her some questions to gain insight into the role of a YMHFA Instructor …

Pictured above. YMHFA course for Byron Bay Schoolies HUB volunteers – Nicqui pictured middle.

Pictured above. Byron Bay Schoolies HUB volunteers with their YMHFA certificates.

MHFA: What made you decide to become a Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) Instructor?

Nicqui: My closest girlfriend suicided 7 years ago. Within 6 months of her death I attended a MHFA course, thinking it might help me to find answers to the many questions that suicide leaves you with. I did the two days of training and it was like a light bulb lit up inside me. I realised that this course gives the kind of information that actually saves lives. At the end of the second day, the instructor asked me, “What do you do and what do you want to do?” and told me that he thought I’d make a good MHFA Instructor. For a couple of years I sat on the idea and started reading, attending short courses and just generally adding to my knowledge about mental health. It had always been something that I’d been interested in, but it wasn’t until I injured my hand and realised that I needed a career change where I could use my mind and my mouth that I thought, “This is the time!” I had also noticed a lot more about mental health problems in people after having done the initial training and I realised that everyone should have the kind of information that the MHFA programs give. So eventually I applied to train as a MHFA Instructor and I haven’t looked back. It changed my life.

What previous experience in mental health did you bring with you before becoming an Instructor?
Although I’d never actually worked in mental health, I’d accumulated a lot of life experience in assisting people with mental health problems in my everyday life and through various volunteering roles. I initially trained as a Standard MHFA Instructor. I then received a scholarship to train as a Youth Mental Health First Aid (YMHFA) Instructor, which is where my real passion lies. I have spent many years working with young people, their parents and those who work with youth and of course most mental health problems start in those teenage years. My background in youth work has been very valuable to my ability to teach the YMHFA course.

What was it like training to become an Instructor?
I thought it would be a scary experience. It wasn’t, it was a wonderful experience. The MHFA team are very supportive, the training itself was not as difficult as I had imagined it would be and of course, the trainers and administration staff are always available for any follow-up support that instructors may need. Betty Kitchener and Dr Claire Kelly have both become great mentors for me. The consistent contact that the MHFA Team have with MHFA Instructors and their continuing support makes it very easy to keep up to date with current information.

What groups in the community attend your courses?
I train for many organisations, but particularly youth workers and those involved in the community services sector. With so many things that can and do go wrong in those teenage years, it is important that youth workers receive the training. Over the years, I have provided YMHFA for disability support services staff, police, teachers, employment agencies, support groups, carers, parents and community volunteers such as the Byron Homeless and Community Breakfast Crew and many, many others.  I also assist organisations to find grants to fund their training, which helps them immensely and of course it helps me too.

At the moment I am running training for 30 volunteers of the Byron Schoolies Safety Response ‘Schoolies HUB’ who run a 24 hour a day safety HUB for 18 days straight, because Byron has around 10,000 young people come each year to celebrate the end of year 12. The YMHFA training will provide these volunteers with many skills that they will be able to use in the various crisis situations that happen during schoolies, including overdose, aggressive behaviour, intoxication, psychosis, panic attacks and acute stress reactions and even suicidal behaviour.

How do you promote your courses?
Although I do at times advertise my courses, they are mainly promoted through newspaper articles, radio interviews, newsletters and through emails to various organisations. I also use posters and of course the MHFA flyers, which the MHFA Team make available to MHFA Instructors. I find the newspaper articles provide the best value. I actually write the articles and submit them to the newspapers. Most of the time they print them word for word.

** Current MHFA courses for members of the public are also advertised here

What has been the best thing about becoming a Mental Health First Aid Instructor?
The best thing about becoming a MHFA Instructor is the opportunity to provide a structured course to members of the general public. This kind of training is often offered through workplaces, but my main focus is the general public.  It was great when I then became a Master Instructor earlier this year when I reached my 30^th course.  I love teaching these programs!

What do you hope the MHFA Program achieves in the future?
In the future, I would like to see that everyone is offered MHFA training free of charge under a Government funded initiative. MHFA equips people with the essential skills needed to save lives.  Early intervention is the key and the MHFA program teaches people how to recognise the symptoms and then how to go about assisting people to find the help that is out there, that can support them through crisis situations. It is an important course that should be available to all.

Do you have a website?
Yes,  my website is MindRight Institute
You can also find Mind Right Institute on Facebook

We recently had some newspaper coverage in the Herald Sun on the importance of Youth Mental Health First Aid (MHFA), to tie in with a new research study being conducted at the University of Melbourne for parents.

The study is planning to follow up families who have been randomly assigned to do a Youth Mental Health First Aid course, or a physical first aid course through the Australian Red Cross.

Akin to the 7 Up series, the researchers aim to follow up these families over 10 years, to see if the skills taught in Youth Mental Health First Aid, have an impact on young people’s mental health as they develop into adulthood.

Youth Mental Health First Aid teaches participants to recognize the early signs and symptoms of mental illness, to develop skills in how to approach and support a young person they are concerned about, as well as how to encourage them to seek professional help and other supports in their community.

The article, printed in the Herald Sun today, talks about how the Youth course can be relevant for anyone working or living with a young person, such as hairdressers, beauticians, sports coaches, as well as of course, parents and teachers.

The journalist spoke with the owner of a Hairdressing salon close to the University of Melbourne, who said that many of her hairdressers provided emotional support to their clients as part of their daily work. They observe that because clients are in a one-on-one situation in a relaxed environment with someone they know, they tend to talk about their problems. Such informal relationships with adults are important in teenagers lives, as they can provide a space for them opening up about a developing mental health issue.

Interestingly, hairdressers as an ‘accidental counselling‘ profession has been studied in the US. A University of Carolina study found that about one-third of the talking time spent with a client, involved discussing clients’ moderate to serious personal problems – in particular relationships, physical health, depression, and anxiety. The regularity in which hairdressers see their clients (usually every 4-6 weeks), means they are well placed to pick up signs of a developing illness before it gets too serious. It’s easy to see the benefit of mental health first aid training would have for hairdressers, and an innovative program in South Australia is doing just that – delivering MHFA as part of a larger project that will equip hairdressers with the knowledge and skills to provide good health information to their clients and refer them to appropriate health services (but more on that in another blog post!).

Previous research by the Mental Health First Aid Training and  Research Program found that providing youth mental health first aid training to teachers improved their awareness of student mental health and confidence in supporting young people with mental health problems. There was also an indirect effect on students, who reported receiving more mental health information from school staff. And most of the changes found continued 6 months after training.

How can we help a young person?

Youth Mental Health First Aid training teaches a 5 step Action Plan called ALGEE to help support young people, which is summarized below:

Approach, assess and assist with any crisis: Find a suitable time and place, and approach the young person about your concerns about their wellbeing. Be aware for signs they are in crisis.
Listen non-judgmentally: Allow silences and be patient – do not interrupt or give flippant advice such as “pull yourself together”.
Give support and information: Never blame them for their illness, and give them hope for recovery.
Encourage the person to get appropriate professional help: You may offer to help them find it, or go along to their first appointment with them. Check out local youth-friendly health services.
Encourage other supports: This may be family, friends and services available at their school or local youth centre.

Free training for parents in Victoria

From next month, free first aid training will be offered to parents of teenagers aged between 12 – 15 years in the greater Melbourne area. The study is important as the course has not yet been tested on parents, nor has the long terms effects of the training been investigated on the health of teenagers.

Training will be free, and teenagers do not have to have had a physical or mental health problem in order to take part. Interested families can register at http://tpot.net.au/