Data from Mental Health Australia (MHA) and Carers Australia (CA) shows that, amidst the carer population, mental health families and carers have some of the poorest mental health and wellbeing outcomes of all Australians.
Reform consultations for the new Family and Carer Led Centers (FCLC) in Victoria of metro, regional, rural and remote carers, conducted by lived experience researchers and advisors from Tandem Carers, (Victoria’s Peak Body supporting mental health families and carers), found that the risk of current and future mental health distress identified in the data, is amplified by the spatial determinants of health.
Some of the exacerbated risks identified include:
• Isolation and loneliness
• Stigma
• Financial and housing precarity
• relationship breakdown
• Poor physical and mental health
• Trauma
• Suicidality
Building on the feedback from the FCLC work the presentation will show how local folks are best placed, to identify what is urgently needed to improve the health and wellbeing of families and carers in rural communities. We will also suggest models of engagement to make this happen.
Some of the carer identified supports are:
• Local, in person, lived experience facilitated support groups.
• Mobile supports & outreach for families.
• Information on rights and family and relational supports.
• System navigators.
• Accessible health and wellbeing support (not the directive to ‘self-care’).
In conclusion, we argue for the meaningful inclusion of families and carers in mental health engagement, service design and supports in rural and remote communities, that recognises the extent of their needs. By drawing on the richness of their lived experience, we advocate for the co-creation of ‘on the ground solutions’. These solutions should occur in true collaboration between community services and government, so that they are useful and sustainable for the family and carers they aspire to serve.