Media Releases

National Mental Health Week 2014

12 Oct 14

mentalhealthweekbanner-940x300Saturday October 11th marked National Coming Out Day as well as the last day of Australian Mental Health Week.

In the past week, the Council of Australian Postgraduate Associations (CAPA) has run a social media campaign to raise the awareness of mental illness amongst postgraduate students.

On average, one in ten postgraduate students experience anxiety, and one in four young Australians are likely to experience mental illness in a given year. This is further exacerbated by the sense of isolation experienced during one’s postgraduate years and the lack of appropriate services in our Universities to deal with mental illness for specific equity groups.

“International students leave behind family and friends and face isolation in Australia. Fortunately, when things get rough, there is help available” said Walter Robles, CAPA International Students Officer.

CAPA also acknowledges those people who have taken the opportunity to come out this weekend in light of National Coming Out Day.

“Mental health is compounded for LGBTI students who experience institutionalised discrimination from their universities and a lack understanding of LGBTI-specific issues in the mental health sector” Angelus Morningstar, CAPA Queer Officer said.

“In today’s society where women continue to face increasing inequalities across a range of social structural and psycho-social spheres, it is critical that women are able to seek support and guidance that is relevant and sensitive to their circumstances” said CAPA Women’s Officer Erin Lynn.

“Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students suffer from mental illness due to grief and loss caused by dispossession, cultural dislocation, stolen generations, and removal from family, discrimination and racism, trauma and abuse, and social disadvantage. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adults are three times more likely to feel high or very high levels of psychological distress and are more than twice as likely to be hospitalised for ‘mental and behavioural disorders’ than were other Australians” Sharlene Leroy-Dyer, NIPAAC Liaison Officer said.

If you are experiencing a loss of social and emotional well-being please contact beyondblue, Lifeline, your state’s Gay and Lesbian support service, your university counseling service or your local mental health service.

beyondblue: 1300 22 4636 / http://www.beyondblue.org.au

Lifeline: 13 11 14 / https://www.lifeline.org.au