Regional Sites: Albany Esperance Geraldton Kalgoorlie Karratha Northam, Toodyay & York

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Mentally Healthy WA Campaign Objectives

1. Implement a range of interventions in six regional centres in WA to influence people's understanding of mental health, awareness of their own mental health, and the desirability of being proactive about one's own and others' mental health.

2. Increase individual's participation in individual and community activities to increase mental health and reduce vulnerability to mental health problems. The interventions will be related to the theme: ‘Act-Belong-Commit'.

3. Increase the understanding of employers, and other persons in authority, of the importance of how they deal with those in their care, and increase the use of positive rather than coercive practices amongst parents, teachers, supervisors/managers, coaches, etc.

4. Build cohesion in communities by fostering links between organisations around a unifying theme promoting positive mental health.

5. Build links between those in the community dealing with mental health problems and those in the community with the capacity to strengthen positive mental health.

6. Study and document how best to develop and implement partnerships related to mental health promotion across government departments and local organisations.

7. Help communities reduce the incidence of mental health problems such as depression, alcohol and drug abuse, juvenile and adolescent delinquency, and suicide.

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Background

Mental Health and Mental Illness
Mental health conditions are increasing around the world and are currently responsible for approximately one third of the total ‘burden of disease'. In Australia , mental disorders are the leading cause of disability, responsible for 60% of the burden of disease in persons aged 15 – 34 years and cost $4.8 billion in 2000-01. Estimates by the Epidemiology Branch of the Department of Health show that by year 2016 the burden of disease for psychosocial illness in WA will surpass that of cardiovascular disease. The shift to greater prevalence of mental and neurological disorders indicates the increasing importance of mental health promotion/prevention and early detection/intervention activities. There is clearly a need for programs promoting positive mental health to reduce the social and economic impact of mental illness.

Project Overview
The Mentally Healthy WA project aims to improve mental health in six demonstration sites in regional Western Australia . This will be achieved by increasing individual resilience and community cohesion. A consortium of Healthway, WA Country Health Services, Lotterywest and the Centre for Behavioural Research in Cancer Control, Curtin University will implement a community-based mental health promotion campaign in three coastal, two mining and three farming communities in Western Australia: Albany, Esperance, Geraldton, Kalgoorlie, Karratha, and Northam/York/Toodyay.

The campaign will be implemented for two years following a six-month developmental phase (April-October) for recruitment and collection of baseline data. A second survey will assess progress and impact at the end of year one and a third survey will be conducted at the end of the two years to assess the overall outcomes of the campaign. A comprehensive report will be compiled shortly after the final survey.

Project Officers (.5 FTE) will be appointed in each of the demonstration towns to implement the project. The intervention will be developed around the A-B-C guidelines for positive mental health: Act-Belong-Commit. During the first year Project Officers will utilise a community-based social marketing strategy to encourage community members to be more mentally, physically and socially active; join local clubs and organisations; and increase their level of commitment. Project officers will be assisted by a .5 FTE Evaluation Officer.

Mentally Healthy WA also aims to replace negative, coercive management/supervision styles, with positive, encouraging styles to help develop positive relationships in workplaces, schools, community organisations and families. The project intends to reframe people's perceptions of mental health from illness to one where they think about how they can actively protect and strengthen their own, and other's mental health.

The project will also study and document ways to develop and implement partnerships and build cohesion by fostering links between individuals and organisations. Mentally Healthy WA will help communities to reduce the long-term outcomes of mental health problems including depression, suicide, alcohol and drug abuse and juvenile delinquency.

More Information

Executive Summary Mentally Healthy WA Campaign view (pdf, 162kb)

Why Invest in Mental Health Promotion & the Mentally Healthy WA Campaign view (pdf, 171kb)

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Timeline
April - Sept 2005:   Development Phase - Recruit field staff, develop campaign logo, brand, website, communication tools, and resources

July 28-29 2005: Orientation and Training Workshop in Perth for field staff and project management team

Mid September 2005: Benchmark Survey: n = 200 in each participating town (6) and 1000-1200 in non-participating towns (including 500-600 in metro and 500-600 in country/rural towns.

September-November 2005: Develop Reference and Management groups in 6 sites

October-November 2005: Launches in each of the sites

October-November 2005: Community Forums to introduce Mentally Healthy WA Campaign in each town

October 2005 - October 2006: first 12 months

September 2006: First follow-up Survey

October 2006: refresh campaign

October 2006: Training in Perth for year 2

October 2006-October 2007: second 12 months

September 2007: 24 month follow up survey

October-March 2008: write up reports, papers and make presentations

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This page last updated: May 9, 2006 10:54 AM

The Mentally Healthy WA campaign aims to improve mental health in six demonstration sites in regional Western Australia. This will be achieved by increasing individual resilience and community cohesion. The campaign is the result of a consortium of Healthway, WA Country Health Services, Lotterywest and the Centre for Behavioural Research in Cancer Control, Curtin University. We also thank our Sponsors and Partners, in particular Pilbara Iron. Entire Contents ©Copyright 2006 Mentally Healthy WA.