Attitudes towards mental illness

Negative attitudes towards mental illness are again in the spotlight with moves to stop plans for two housing facilities for people with mental illnesses in the Narre Warren area, reports the Casey Weekly.

Locals are concerned about increased traffic in the area, insufficent public transport and the site's location near a bus stop "where many young people congregate", as well as it being close to Scout and Guide halls. Their concerns are seen to be perpetuating old myths about mental illness. Locals and Australians in general are urged to quash outdated views on mental illness.

Similar points were raised during forums held in mental health week in October. Leaders in the field raised the point that increased awareness of mental illnesses and exposure to people with mental illness is the best way to reduce the stigma associated with mental illness and normalise mental illness within the community. Considering one in five Australians will suffer from a mental illness at some stage in their lives, and all Australians will be affected by mental illness, this negative attitude towards mental illness needs to stop!

Let's talk about it - mental health and suicide forum

Mental health and suicide are often not spoken about. This needs to change. To try to make this change the ABC presented a 3 hour forum with many experts from the the mental health industry, including representatives from beyondblue, lifeline, headspace and SANE. The broadcast aimed to engage the community in conversation about mental health and suicide. For further information about what was discussed please visit the ABC website.

Link between Alcohol and Mental Illness

During the Salvation Army's Annual Alcohol Awareness Campaign, they've released new, Roy Morgan research that focused on the links between alcohol misuse and mental health. The research included a random national sample of 638 Australians, aged 14 and older. It focused on alcohol consumption and attitudes towards alcohol, particularly regarding mental health.

The study found that 81% think that drinking alcohol has a negative impact on a person's mental health. 21% reported drinking more than they intended to, and 10% reported drinking as a way of dealing with negative emotions.

These findings are very concerning! The Salvos are urging all Australians to think about how they use alcohol and its effects, and ask everyone to make it a topic of conversation with friends and family. For more information about this study, please check the Salvation Army Media Release.

Mental Health Week 9th - 15th October!

2011 Mental Health Week will be launched this Sunday!
Mental Health Week has been running since 1985. The week is dedicated to promoting mental wellbeing, increasing knowledge about mental health and trying to eliminate the stigma surrounding mental illness. Further information about this week and the events can be found on the Mental Health Foundation of Australia (Victoria) Website

This year, World Mental Health Day is the 10th of October. World Mental Health Day aims to increase public awareness about mental health issues. It encourages open discussion of mental disorders, and investments in prevention, promotion and treatment services, particularly in poorer countries.

Next to Normal

It is always great to see movies, plays and television shows featuring characters with mental illnesses as it helps to raise awareness within the general population. Unfortunately there are also occasions where such characters are portrayed as being "psycho" or "weirdos" because of their condition which is not helpful at all.

A current example of a positive portrayal of mental illness however, is the Melbourne Theatre Company's play Next to Normal. It tells the story of a mother, Diana, who has bipolar disorder and how her condition affects her family.

The play itself has won many awards including 3 Tony Awards and the 2010 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. This has given it a high profile and has caused large crowds to go and see it.

Like most theatrical productions the play is fictitious and as such Diana's experience of living with a mental illness is not exactly true to life. What the play does do though is raise issues such as the difficulty of finding a treatment option that suits you, as well as the difficulty from both the sufferers perspective and the family's perspective in truly understanding mental illness and the impact it is having on a person's life.

Regardless of how true to life this production is, its exploration of the impact of mental illness is a positive step forward.


Next to Normal is currently showing at the Arts Centre in Melbourne's Playhouse Theatre and has been extended until the June 4, 2011.


Links:
Next to Normal Wikipedia Page

Radio National's All in the Mind featuring Next to Normal

Videos from the American production of the show