As the peak body for unpaid mental health carers in Queensland and a provider of support services for mental health carers, Arafmi has conducted statewide research into the experiences and needs of family, kin, friends and community members providing unpaid care for someone experiencing mental ill-health. We know that social isolation is an issue for many mental health carers, along with significant impacts on physical, emotional, mental and financial wellbeing. We also know that there are many people who care for someone with mental ill-health who do not identify with the term 'carer' and whose experiences and support needs may be different from those of other carers.

As part of a deeper dive into the needs of particular groups of carers, we have started to explore how First Nations communities in North Queensland and rural communities in several locations across the state experience the role of caring for someone with mental ill-health.
This presentation will provide an overview of our findings so far and the implications for mental health carer support services and systemic advocacy efforts.

Presentation Key Learnings:

1. There are some similarities in how First Nations communities and rural communities approach caring for mental health
2. In order to best support carers in First Nations and rural communities, we need to understand differences in needs and experiences across different geographical locations, cultural groups and genders.
3. Community wide approaches are more likely to be effective in supporting mental health carers in ways that that avoid stigma.