The weight of the COVID-19 crisis could be felt for years to come with experts anticipating severe long-term impacts on mental health all over the regions including Yarrawonga Mulwala, particularly in younger people.
Hold tight - we’re checking permissions before loading more content
As the pandemic took hold in 2020 and so far through 2021, the mental health toll of indefinite lockdowns, border closures and isolation from friends and family has worsened which is why this October, which is National Mental Health month, is just as important as ever.
Locally Clinical, Health, Educational and Developmental Psychologist and Director of Yarrawonga Mulwala Psychology Dr Leah Brennan said the toll of different state rules and border closures have weighed down on many people and she has seen an uptake of local clients.
“Yes, more people locally are seeking treatment. Also, there is an increase in the severity of mental health concerns, and many people are staying in treatment longer as they need more ongoing support,” Dr Brennan said.
“It is across the age range, all genders, all walks of life. No demographic group is unaffected.
“We have seen an increase in parents of young children seeking support for their children and themselves, primary and secondary school aged children needing support, young adults, middle aged, and older aged adults.
“Fortunately, our team has experience working with a range of clients with a range of concerns so we are also growing our team so we can continue to meet local needs.”
Living in a rural town rather than a metropolitan area can often hinder the services people can access, however Yarrawonga Mulwala and the region do have several services that can help.
“Unfortunately, rural people have always had more limited access to mental health services. This has been exacerbated by the pandemic,” Dr Brennan said.
“We have excellent local GPs, and they are doing an amazing job of identifying and supporting those that are struggling with mental health concerns.
“Please see your GP if you are finding things difficult as they can provide assistance themselves, and they can help people to access local services.
“There are some other psychologists and counselors providing services in Yarrawonga Mulwala, and other health professionals such as nurses are providing support. School wellbeing teams are also working hard to support students and families.
“Many workplaces will provide Employee Assistance Programs (EAP) to employees and their families so do look into this to see if its available to you.
“There is also phone (Beyond Blue, Black Dog Institute, Butterfly Foundation, LifeLine etc) and web-based supports available such as This Way Up and MindSpot. There is good evidence that telephone and online supports can be very effective so don’t discount these services.
“The other thing to be aware of is that many services are now providing treatment via videoconference and telephone so locals can access services from all over Australia.
“This is particularly useful if you are suffering from a less common/more severe disorder that requires specialised treatment.
“Again, there is good evidence that videoconference and telephone delivered treatment can be very effective.”
Dr Win Myint Tun, GP Registrar at Denis Medical Group whose special interests include mental health said he has also seen an uptake of clients during the pandemic.
“I have been seeing more patients with mental health problems since the sixth lock down. The age group I have been seeing the most is between 25 and 55 as the mental health awareness in that aged group is very high,” Dr Win Myint Tun said.
“However, I believe that the lockdown equally impacts people from all walks of life and aged groups. So, if any family members are found to have mental health problems, they should be encouraged to see their GP to get support.
“For an emergency, we have the 24-hour telephone services for the mental health problems. If further inputs are needed, Wangaratta mental health triage service is available on 1300 104 211 or for non-urgent problems, Yarrawonga Health service and social workers are available in town.”
Figures released from YouGov have found the mental health of 54 per cent of Victorians has worsened during the pandemic, with 39 per cent saying they’re also worse off financially.
Mental Health Australia CEO, Dr Leanne Beagley said that COVID-19 has had a devastating impact on the mental health of many Australians.
“The research tells us that one in five Australians are reporting that they feel high levels of distress resulting from the pandemic,” said Dr Beagley.
“For everyone, the pandemic has provoked a challenge for managing our mental health. Lockdowns and increased isolation make it harder to seek out stress management activities like chatting with friends over a coffee or participating in community sports.
“The message of this campaign though is that mental health is relevant to everyone. And we can all benefit from looking after our own mental health and the mental health of our families and communities.”
Kids Helpline also recently announced that the number of children and young people presenting with varying levels of mental, emotional, and psychological anguish continues to increase in 2021 with 8,242 contacts up from 6,887 for the same period in 2020, which represents 45 contacts each day over the past six months (March to August 2021) from young people expressing concerns related to suicide.
Their latest data reveals that in the past six months (March to August) counsellors contacted frontline responders for an emergency crisis intervention 135% more than the same period in 2020.
The Victorian Government has announced investment to deliver fast-tracked, tailored care to those who need it, reducing the burden on emergency departments as the number of coronavirus patients grows. Recently the government also promised to fund practitioners in every public school from Term Four.
An investment of $13.3 million will also deliver 20 pop-up community mental health services – with around 90 dedicated clinicians providing 93,000 additional hours of wellbeing checks and counselling to many thousands of Victorians needing support. The pop-up centres, to be delivered by trusted community health providers will open progressively from the end of September across Melbourne and regional Victoria, with a dedicated triage and referral hotline and website to be established in the coming days so people can start booking appointments. To find mental health assistance locally you can contact Yarrawonga Mulwala Psychology on 03 5743 3723 or
Denis Medical Centre on 03 5744 1777.
Beyond Blue Kids HelplineLifelineMenLine Australia Open ArmsSuicide Call Back Servicesuicidecallbackservice.org.au.Anyone feeling anxious or depressed1300 22 4636 or beyondblue.org.au.Counselling for young people aged 5 to 251800 55 1800 or kidshelpline.com.au.Anyone having a personal crisis131 114 or lifeline.org.au.Men with emotional or relationship concerns1300 789 978 or mensline.org.au.Veterans and families counselling 1800 011 046 or openarms.gov.au.Anyone thinking about suicide1300 659 467 or
Journalist