R U OK DAY – NO SHAME SEEKING HELP IF YOU’RE NOT OK

With the nation continuing to slide into and out of lockdowns and with COVID case numbers haunting our daily lives there has been an understandable rise in stress, anxiety and other mental health issues.

Recent media reports have cited a spike in demand for services, with one noting that in NSW alone there had been a 31 per cent rise this year in emergency department visits by children and teenagers for teenagers due to self harm and suicidal ideation.

Curt Gray, senior psychiatrist with the Mater In Mind consultation liaison psychiatry team at Mater Hospital South Brisbane, says he and his colleagues have seen increased demand and wait times for mental health services due to issues created by the pandemic.

“One of the things we have noticed is a jump in eating disorders,” Dr Gray says. “But my colleagues and I have seen that demand for mental health services in general has increased, and it’s now very difficult to get new cases treated early.

“Recently we were trying to facilitate a child psychiatrist for a 14-year-old boy struggling with school refusal.

“The lockdowns we’ve had in Brisbane had supercharged his condition.

“He had severe anxiety and other symptoms, but it was extraordinarily difficult to get a place to see him, with waiting lists three or six months or more now common.

“This is right across the board, everyone is saying the same thing.”

This week marks R U OK? Day and World Suicide Prevention Day (September 9 and 10 respectively), both of which aim to highlight the problems surrounding mental health and how to best deal with them.

R U OK? is a harm prevention charity that encourages people to stay connected and have conversations that can help others through difficult times in their lives.
It aims to contribute to suicide prevention by encouraging people to invest more time in personal relationships and helping friends, family and colleagues to be alert to those around them, have a conversation if they see signs of distress or difficulty, and help connect someone to appropriate support, long before they’re in crisis.

Dr Gray says most mental health professionals endorse efforts such as R U OK Day and Beyond Blue that are aimed at increasing awareness and taking some of the stigma out of mental health problems.

But he says reaching out to a sufferer can be a difficult task.

“It’s a complex phenomenon,” he says. “People may not know how to ask, or respond, if someone says they are not OK, or fear that asking might precipitate a catastrophic response”

R U OK recommends people “ask, listen, encourage, and check in” if they suspect someone is having trouble.

“That’s exactly how to do it,” he says. “Be attentive. It doesn’t hurt to ask, it’s about listening, rather than telling, and encouraging them to reach out for a bit more professional help.

“Every little bit helps, as long as it’s in an empathic and considered way.”

Dr Gray says subsequent action doesn’t necessarily have to be intensive.

“In most cases the sufferer doesn’t need to be going off to see a psychiatrist. Only a small percentage of population need to do that.

“We are fortunate in Australia that your GP is the perfect way forward. They are highly skilled, and able to either provide services themselves or refer you to other appropriate services.”

Dr Gray says there are other ways to seek help.

“Many people still call Lifeline, which has an incredibly valuable presence, and organisations such as Beyond Blue can help with information such as ‘where should I go, what sort of help I should get’.

“Sufferers with private health can also access allied health services such as psychology, mental health social workers, and maybe a nurse practitioner.

“But again, the easiest thing is to speak to your GP.”

Dr Gray says mental health awareness is definitely improving, through the efforts of government and traditional health services, and new movements such as R U OK?, Beyond Blue, The Black Dog Institute and Mates for Mates.

And the Federal Government has made treatment more accessible with Medicare rebates for referral through GPs to psychologists and other treatments.

The biggest change in recent times is that much of the stigma surrounding mental health is fading.

“It helps that people with a profile speak about it now. We see stories from sportsmen, or people in the public eye, speaking about their struggles with depression or anxiety.

“Former politician Andrew Robb wrote a book about his struggles with depression and insomnia and how they were linked.

“So there is always more that can be done, but over time it’s getting easier for people to reach out.”