Mental Health Research :: Northern Rivers Department of Rural Health

Northern Rivers Department of Rural Health - Australia

Mental Health Research

Farmer’s mental health service networks: A service collaboration model

Australian Rotary Health Research Fund ($105,816)

Brian Kelly, Lyn Fragar, Jeffrey Fuller, Trevor Hazell & Helen Stain (2007-2008)

This project builds on a pilot program funded through an ARHRF Grant-in-Aid that 1) established the beneficial outcomes from training workshops in rural communities across rural NSW focussed on addressing the mental health needs of farmers, and 2) enabled the successful pilot investigation of a tool to evaluate clinical service networks. Services related to the mental health needs of people in farming are provided by a range of health professionals in a rural community: specialist mental health staff, general practitioners, counsellors in agencies such as state and national government agencies (eg Centrelink, Community Health Services), and non-government organisations (such as church based counselling organisations). However, many other agencies—such as those providing on-farm practical and emotional support, financial advice, and farm management assistance—are important for the wellbeing of these communities. Effective management of mental health problems in farmers, in particular the early identification of potentially serious issues, requires effective collaboration between all these groups. This study will evaluate the effectiveness of a service collaboration model in improving access to, effectiveness and timeliness of mental health care for farming communities. It is hypothesised that compared with closely matched control communities, the establishment of the service collaboration model will be associated with:

increased confidence in recognition, response and referral for farmers with mental health problems in personnel in rural community agencies;
an increase in the perceived support and effective response from mental health services by personnel in rural community agencies;
increased confidence in health professionals in providing mental health care to farmers and working with rural community agencies;
increased communication and referral between health services and rural non-health sector through greater number of contacts for advice, referral and service planning focussing on mental health problems, as measured through social network analysis.

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A survey of Australian Rural Financial Counsellors (RFCs): client presentation of social, emotional and stress related issues.

Fuller J & Broadbent J

The purpose of this research is to investigate the extent to which psychological and emotional distress are raised in the work of rural financial counsellors. Rural financial counsellors are a discrete group of local human service providers, who are identified in their communities as ‘non-health’ workers, and with whom clients are likely to raise life issues asa result of distressing circumstances.

A study is a national survey of Australian Rural Financial Counsellors to achieve the following:

quantify the perceived need for social, emotional or stress related counselling by clients that are visited by RFCs
describe the service (such as through counselling, referral and other linkages) offered by RFCs that is in response to some form of social, emotional or stress related issue
determine what networks are utilised by RFCs in response to this need.

Contact: Associate Professor Jeff Fuller, Northern Rivers University Department of Rural Health on 02 6620 7332 or email jeffery.fuller@ncahs.health.nsw.gov.au

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Mental health & wellbeing in rural & remote NSW. NHMRC Project Grant 2006-2008

Kelly B, Stain H, Carr V, Beard J, Fragar L & Lewin T.

Contact: Professor John Beard, Head of Department, Northern Rivers University Department of Rural Health on 61 6620 7231 or email jbeard@med.usyd.edu.au

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Building mental health awareness and support networks in rural Australian communities—a service delivery evaluation.

Australian Rotary Health Research Fund 2006, $32,000.

Kelly B, Fragar L, Fuller J & Hazell T.

This project will investigate the effectiveness of a model of service innovation in rural areas targeting the mental health of farmers, which aims to reduce the stigma of mental illness and increase access to effective services. We will develop mental health service capacity in rural Australian communities through local service partnerships and will: 1) build the capacity of those in close contact with farmers to identify and respond to the mental health needs of farmers, and 2) improve the orientation and understanding of health services to effective methods of working with farming based on current evidence, including the knowledge of farm support organisations. The model will comprise the following two interventions: (1) training and (2) network development that are both directed to agricultural support and health workers. Two types of training will be delivered:

To agricultural support workers (for example, rural financial counsellors): mental health first aid education
To health workers in rural areas: education in issues facing farmers and other residents of farming communities, particularly drought

The primary focus of this project is the evaluation of this strategy in fostering useful networks between agricultural support and health workers with the aim of improving the services available to meet the mental health care needs of farmers and farming communities.

This project is a collaboration between the NSW Centre for Rural & Remote Mental Health, the Australian Centre for Agricultural Health & Safety, the Northern Rivers University Department of Rural Health and the rural area health services in NSW.

Contact: Associate Professor Jeff Fuller, Northern Rivers University Department of Rural Health on 61 02 6620 7332 or email jeffery.fuller@ncahs.health.nsw.gov.au

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Northern Rivers Mental Health Study (NoRMHS)

Beard J, Brooks L, Brooks R, Dietrich U, Webber K

The Northern Rivers Mental Health Study (NoRMHS) comprises one of the largest community-based studies of mental disorders. Ten thousand (10,000) adults in the Richmond Valley (10% of the population) were administered a screening telephone questionnaire. Fifteen hundred (1,500) subjects were then followed-up with a face-to-face diagnostic interview using the comprehensive National Mental Health Survey. After two (2) years, subjects were again followed-up with a face-to-face interview allowing analysis of the natural course and incidence of common mental disorders and the determinants of outcome.

Contact: Professor John Beard, Head of Department, Northern Rivers University Department of Rural Health on 61 6620 7231 or email jbeard@med.usyd.edu.au

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Regional Aboriginal Intergrated Social & Emotional Wellbeing Program (RAISE)

Jeffrey Fuller, Lee Martinez, Bronwyn Ryan, Kuda Muyambi, James Stanley, Kathy Verran

This report documents the primary health care linkages identified through a case study of the RAISE Wellbeing program in the Northern & Far Western Health Region of South Australia. RAISE Wellbeing is a mental health service partnership of one Aboriginal and three mainstream health care organisations. These organisations are the Pika Wiya Health Service, the Pt Augusta Mental Health Team, the Pt Augusta Hospital and the Flinders & Outback Regional Health Service.

Document: Raise Wellbeing

Contact: Associate Professor Jeff Fuller, Northern Rivers University Department of Rural Health on 61 02 6620 7332 or email jeffery.fuller@ncahs.health.nsw.gov.au