24 minute read
Health
Online hate surges during pandemic and solutions aren’t being funded
SARAH JACOB
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Online Hate Prevention Institute
As Australia sought to stop the spread of the coronavirus by putting hot spot areas into lockdown, many people found that their social interactions were now limited to contact via online platforms. There, some communities found themselves under attack by trolls and online bullies. “We’ve seen a huge wave of online [hate] content,” said Andre Oboler, CEO of the Online Hate Prevention Institute (OHPI). Oboler believes that the isolation of lockdown was made much worse for marginalised communities by the increase in abuse, as a large section of the community took to online forums to vent their frustration and anger over coronavirus restrictions. He believes that the damage done during this period will have far-reaching effects on our society, long after the virus is gone. “They were effectively excluded from society. They were even more isolated than everybody else during lockdown,” he said. “The attitudes which have developed through this content spreading online include a lot of xenophobia, racism and intolerance, and undermine the usual multicultural, inclusive values of our society. That won’t go away after the pandemic ends. We’re seeing a hardening of attitudes that will take a long time to correct.” Although this issue has been raised by some media outlets, resolving the problem does not appear to be a priority for the Australian government as the country starts to move towards “COVID normal”, as shown by a lack of funding directed to this area. This reluctance reflects a disinclination by the current government on a broader scale to implement and fund anti-hate speech initiatives. The Australian Human Rights Commission is the government body tasked with tackling discrimination, including online hate. Funding for the Commissions’ Anti-Racism Strategy ended in 2015, and it has repeatedly requested additional funding to develop a new strategy, which is supported by the opposition and NGOs. Regardless, Oboler said that a response led only by government would not be effective. “All of the money goes to having more police, giving the police more resources, when in actual fact there’s an important role that civil society needs to play,” he said. OHPI is the only Australian charity focused on online forms of hate speech. It is frequently approached by the government to provide data and assistance in order to tackle the problem, but no funding has been made available to produce this information. “We can only hope donations from new supporters will help close the gap,” Oboler said,
New veteran programs set to combat mental health crisis
Mates4Mates Australia
Mates4Mates is calling on Australians to help combat the widespread mental health issues and injuries faced by veterans across Australia.. Funds raised will go towards the roll out of more than 50 face-to-face and online programs in 2021, each providing veterans and their families with vital support and new skills to help manage the challenges they face. Anxiety, depression, trauma, persistent pain, relationships, and addiction will be some of the topics covered in the workshops which will range from 90-minute sessions to 12-week programs, all designed to ultimately reduce the risk of more complex health issues and suicide. Mates4Mates CEO Troy Watson said some veterans still lacked access to comprehensive rehabilitation and support services, resulting in isolation and complex mental health issues. “Research shows that among veterans, mental health issues are significantly higher than the general Australian community,” Mr Watson said. “Even self-reported levels of high to very high psychological distress is almost three times higher among veterans, than the Australian community. “With the challenges from COVID-19, mental health issues and isolation have only increased. “We urgently need to deliver more targeted services to ultimately help prevent more suicides and give our veterans hope, and we know that our new suite of workshops will make a difference. “But we can’t do it alone. As a charity, we rely on the support of the community and our partners to provide ongoing services.” Mates4Mates provides support and rehabilitation services for current and ex-serving Australian Defence Force members who have physical or mental service-related injuries, and their families. “We currently support over 5000 veterans and family members and each year provide thousands of psychology appointments and physical rehabilitation sessions, and essential wellbeing and social connection activities,” Mr Watson said. “Please, donate today so that we can help more veterans tomorrow.” As well as donations from the community, Mates4Mat0. DONATE TODAY at mates4matesappeal.org.
HEALTH PTSD Awareness Day highlights the struggles of defence force veterans
SARAH JACOB Mates 4 Mates is a national charity that helps veterans and their families rebuild their lives after servicerelated injuries.
This year, with the added stresses you,” Scanes said. of the COVID-19 crisis, Mates “There are certain sounds and smells 4 Mates is strongly encouraging that trigger your senses and can take you Australian Defence Force (ADF) right back to a traumatic event. Having members to contact their Family Recovery your partner or a mate there to push you Centre to learn more about post-traumatic in the right direction and build your confistress disorder (PTSD) and what support dence is vital,” he added. is available. Mates 4 Mates is a national PTSD often co-occurs with additional charity that helps veterans and their fami- conditions like depression, anxiety and lies rebuild their lives after service-related alcoholism, which can further complicate injuries. matters. McIntyre, however, says that
It is estimated that around 8 percent PTSD is treatable in many cases with the of active ADF members will have experienced PTSD in the past 12 months. This is significantly higher than in the Australian community (5.2 percent). The 2018 Mental Health Prevalence Report found that, for Facebook & Instagram partners with NAIDOC Week ADF members who have transitioned back into civil society, the number is much NAIDOC Week 8 - 15 November higher – around 17 percent. PTSD Awareness Day, which falls on 27 June every year, is designated to raise awareness of the impacts of this disorder. PTSD can occur in anyone who been NAIDOC has partnered with Facebook Australia to launch new tools and initiatives to celebrate Indigenous people, through a traumatic event themselves or stories, and businesses for NAIDOC Week witnessed one. This can develop soon after 2020. the event or many years later. Starting on Sunday, 8 November across
Mates 4 Mates psychologist Chris Facebook and Instagram, Australians will McIntyre says that while each person’s ex- be empowered to connect with this year’s perience is different, many relive the trau- ‘Always Was, Always Will Be’ theme and matic event through vivid memories or with Indigenous-designed tools, creators, nightmares, often accompanied by intense and businesses. emotional and physical reactions. In welcoming the partnership, National
Retired Army Captain Jason Scanes has NAIDOC Co Chair, John Paul Janke said it lived with PTSD since he returned from was an exciting opportunity to expand the serving in Afghanistan. He said that he reach and footprint of NAIDOC Week like and his family have had to adjust their dai- never before. ly lives to accommodate his condition. “Millions of Australians can now join
“It really sucks the motivation out of
right support, with some treatments producing improvements for up to 80 percent of patients. National Pain Week puts lived Scanes says that the support of his family and some simple activities helped him cope with his condition, and the transition back to civilian life. experience front and centre “Before I went to Afghanistan, my wife said: ’I’d like you to keep a journal’. I was reluctant at first, but I did it because I promised I would. But then I found myself wanting to write about my day and my feelings at the time. My wife kept a journal Akii Ngo was born with a life-threatening illness and has experienced chronic pain since the age of 8. She is one of SARAH JACOB too, and we swapped journals when I came millions of people living with chronic pain back. I got to read about the hardships she – and the stigma associated with it – every experienced, and vice versa. That gave us day in Australia. a better perspective of what we were each “I’ve been unwell since the moment I dealing with. was born,” said Ngo, who is now Executive “Keeping a journal really worked for Director of Chronic Pain Australia. “I had me,” Scanes said. my first spinal surgery when I was 16.” He said that finding meaningful em- Around 3.2 million people over the ployment post-service is often the most age of 45 live with chronic pain, but Ngo difficult aspect of returning to civilian life. is keen to point out that there are many “There are a lot of initiatives in the em- young people who do as well. ployment space for veterans,” he said. “Because that statistic is related to older there by people experiencing pain them- there is the perception that people take “But I’m not convinced that these initia- people, that then leads to the misconcep- selves. the medicines to get high – that’s a comtives are widely known or easily accessible. tion that it’s only experienced by older McMaugh said that, in addition to being mon attitude we hear from our survey If a veteran who has PTSD and depression people,” she said. an extremely common experience, chronic respondents.”gets turned down a few times, without “When I was learning to drive, I was pain is also misunderstood by the public. “Another barrier to seeking treatment constructive feedback on how they can abused,” Ngo continued. “We’re talking about between one in five is access to different treatment options. In improve, it then becomes very easy for “People were leaving notes on my car or even one in three people who experi- [Australia’s] health system, we fund unthem to fall into a negative mindset that saying that I should be ashamed of myself ence persistent pain,” he said. limited access to doctors and medicines, ‘Nobody wants to help, nobody cares, no- [because I used the disabled car park]. So “The reason as to why it’s difficult to get but if you need access to allied health –body wants me, I’m past my use-by date’. there are a lot of misconceptions about those statistics is because the types of pain that’s not funded. Or it’s funded perhaps This mindset I would attribute to a lot of what chronic pain looks like.” that we consider to be chronic come in five times a year. If you need ongoing suicides in the veteran community. We The theme of this year’s National Pain different forms.” access to allied health services, that adds simply must do more to understand these Week was “Faces of Pain.” The President of “For instance, it could be from an injury up very quickly.”issues more broadly,” Scanes added. Chronic Pain Australia, Jarrod McMaugh, that has healed, but pain persists. And Community pharmacist Kate Gill McIntyre believes that the COVID-19 said the theme was chosen to illustrate that adds to the stigma of this condition has been living with chronic pain for 10 crisis has worsened the situation of many how varied different people’s experience of because health professionals will state that years. She agreed that misconceptions and veterans already struggling with PTSD pain is. because the injury has healed the person barriers make the experience far more “We know that many people with ex- “Every single person you look at could should be fine, when they’re not.” difficult. isting mental health issues have struggled be experiencing chronic pain and you “There is also a lot of underreporting “When I first had this pain, all I wanted through lockdown, as isolation and fear wouldn’t know, because pain is a personal of pain, especially in men. We know that was a magic bullet to make it all better,” can exacerbate some conditions,” McIntyre experience,” McMaugh said. chronic pain occurs at roughly the same she said. “I had an incorrect diagnosis for said. “So the message this year is not to judge rates in men and women. But in our sur- about 2 ½ years.”“It’s important that where people can’t people, because your experience of pain is veys, the respondents are predominantly “I went through multiple investigastay connected physically, they still remain not the same as another person’s.” women. That shows us that men are not as tions. My life really changed when I was connected virtually to maintain their National Pain Week, held annually in comfortable talking about their experienc- referred to a persistent pain management wellbeing.” July, is now in it’s fifth year. McMaugh said es.” board. That’s when my life slowly started Crisis support can be accessed 24 hours a day at Lifeline: 13 11 14. it began as a response to the observation that most of the information on chronic pain was put out by health practitioners, McMaugh said that stigma is a big part of the problem. “Some people associate taking pain to turn around. Until then, I’d been sinking further and further into a hole.” “The biggest challenge is the constant and there wasn’t a lot of information out medicines with weakness,” he said. “Or comments you get: ‘You look okay, you’re looking good.’ And you might look the same as you’ve always looked, but you Facebook & Instagram partners with NAIDOC Week don’t feel the same inside. Every day is a struggle. I go out when I’m feeling okay and I look okay – and I do have good days. But if I’m having a really bad day, I hide at home.” in the celebrations via their social media, A new interactive Indigenous music ways, and this partnership with NAIDOC Ngo said that the stigma also extends to sharing this stunning content to their library within the Facebook and Insta- will harness that power to bring Indige- the attitudes of some health professionals. networks and thus engaging a whole new gram music stickers called ‘Blak Australia’ nous achievements and culture to Austra- “When you go to the doctor, they may audience to our culture, achievement, to highlight Aboriginal and Torres Strait lians everywhere,” he said. say ‘Well, you look pretty good today, you history, aspirations and voices.” Islander artists. As NAIDOC Week closes on Saturday, don’t look like you’re in that much pain,’” Exclusively in Australia, Facebook Top Indigenous creators will develop 14 November, Facebook Australia will she said. will launch three new Instagram Stories and share Instagram Guides focused on livestream NAIDOC LIVE: Celebrating “But if you live with chronic pain, that’s stickers designed by Tyrown Waigana, the well-being and connecting to country. Blak Excellence featuring performances your new normal.” Noongar and Saibai Islander artist behind Guides are an upcoming feature currently and appearances from some of Australia’s “If you have to live with it, day in, day this year’s NAIDOC Week poster. testing with select creators around the top Indigenous talent including Archie out, then you just have to get on with Other features set to launch in partner- world. Roach, Ash Barty, Kate (Konstantina) it. That’s going to look very different to ship with NAIDOC include: Will Easton, Vice President of Face- Constantine, Wayne Quilliam and many someone who suddenly experiences acute Four Stories templates designed by book Australia says that the partnership more including Jessica Mauboy in a Face- pain.” Nungala Creative, led by proud Warumun- supports their commitment to support book world first XR video production that gu / Wombaya woman Jessica Johnson. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander reimagines her song Butterfly. These templates encourage Indigenous and communities to celebrate culture, access non-Indigenous Australians to connect education, and embrace their economic with the Country they live on, and share potential. NAIDOC stands for ‘National Aborigines the people and organisations that inspire “Our platforms can elevate community and Islanders Day Observance Committee’. them during NAIDOC Week. voices and share stories in unprecedented
HEALTH
Mums’ childhood cancer awareness trek raises $44,0000
RYAN FRITZ tragedy ended in triumph on Friday, 23 October on the front steps of Royal Adelaide Hospital. Maria Topalian and Belinda Moore were greeted by family, friends and members of their daughter Natalie’s treating team from the RAH, marking the end of their 23-day, 740km walk for childhood cancer throughout South Australia, which started on 1 October. Their daughter, Natalie Vari, was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia in December 2018. Despite finding a stemcell donor and undergoing a transplant, she developed a lung infection and died in June 2019 at the hospital. Inspired by Natalie’s dying wish to “pay it forward”, her mothers, themselves healthcare workers, took on a physical challenge of their own to raise funds and awareness for Redkite. “It was an amazing adventure where we experienced so much laughter and tears and we could not have done it without the support of our family and friends. Thank you. We feel very loved. “We’ve managed to turn something so cruel, of losing Nat, into something so beautiful and hopefully we’ve inspired others along the way to pay it forward,” Maria said. “Nat would be so proud of the journey as we are so proud of her, and she will always walk with us,” they added. Haematologist, Dr David Yeung, who was on Natalie’s treating team, remembers her fondly and the close bond she shared with her mothers. “This fundraiser walk by Belinda and Maria is an excellent way to remember Nat as a beautiful, generous and loving soul, and to support other families going through their own battles. “On behalf of South Australian haematologists, I would like to thank Redkite for supporting our patients and their families,” Dr Yeung said. Redkite supported the family during Natalie’s illness and still support Maria and Belinda through bereavement counselling, especially when they marked the first-year anniversary of their daughter’s death four months ago. “It’s just been so nice to know that Redkite is still here for us and we can talk to them whenever we’re having a tough day,” Maria said. Redkite’s CEO, Ms Monique Keighery, said Maria and Belinda’s fundraising efforts will help Redkite to support other South Australian families. HEALTH Movember world’s largest network of prostate cancer patient registries which will have the power to transform the treatment and care of the disease by harnessing the real world experiences of over 130,000 men. The global ‘super network’ – believed to be the first of its kind – will contain detailed clinical information on the diagnosis, treatment and survivorship of prostate cancer patients from over 15 countries. The project will fast-track efforts to improve the treatment and care for men diagnosed and living with prostate cancer. Movember is aiming to grow the network
Two mothers, who walked for 740kms and 23 days through South Australia for their daughter Natalie’s dying wish to pay it forward for others arrived at the Royal Adelaide Hospital on 23 October.
“Over the last 12 months we have supported around 150 children and their families from all walks of life and from all over the state. Families like Natalie’s. “Sadly, the crippling cost of cancer, alongside the added financial and emotional pressures of COVID-19, has
“Belinda and Maria have experienced the worst of what cancer can do and what every parent who has a child with cancer dreads. I am humbled by their tenacity and determination to support families who are now going through what they endured. Everyone at Redkite will be thinking of them and cheering them
Atrek inspired by a family’s
“It really was both physical and mentally challenging for us but every time it got really tough, we thought about how hard it was for Nat. She never gave up and that’s what got us through,” the mothers said.
on,” Monique said. pushed many families too far. Belinda and Maria’s inspirational trek, and the funds they have raised, will mean we can deliver the vital counselling and financial support these families so desperately need at a time when they have never needed it more,” Ms Keighery said. “I know Natalie would be so proud of
Movember is launching the her mums,” Ms Keighery added. to include data on 250,000 men within the next five years. “Effective clinical quality registries significantly improve the quality of life of men with prostate cancer, and offer the potential to extend survival,” Paul Villanti, Executive Director of Programs at Movember said. “Being able to establish a ‘super network’ of registries that supports biomedical research, clinical trials, treatment quality improvement and personalised care and support for men living with prostate cancer is a major step forward and has the power to revolutionise prostate cancer treatment and care.
“You’re just in a world of pain”: Meet the people tackling mens’ mental health in the bush
SARAH JACOB
At the age of 22, Warren Davies became a farmer. He had moved to the Goulburn Valley as a teenager to help his parents run a dairy farm and after many years of farm work, he decided to buy a few hundred acres adjacent to his parents’ property.
“I knew that I was going into business with the bank, because they lent me the money,” said Davies.
“But I also had a silent business partner in Mother Nature. She was going to throw me some curve balls and have probably the biggest impact on my business and on my mental health.”
Davies had been experiencing mental health issues since he was young, but said it wasn’t something that he had acknowledged as a kid.
“I did nothing about it, never reached out,” he said.
“I buried that stuff and later on in life when I became a farmer myself, those challenges bit me on the bum.”
A few years later, his property experienced extensive flooding.
“It was a really challenging time. It started a spiral – it wasn’t depression, but I just didn’t feel like me. I pushed it to the background and hoped that it would sort itself out.”
A disagreement with his parents about the future direction of the farming business generated additional stress. Davies agreed to buy his parents out of the partnership, but in doing so, he took on a lot of debt. The family rift weighed on him and he found himself sinking into depression. Two years later, his region went into drought. “As it got worse and worse, it had a “Within the next five years, we are aiming to include the experiences of over 250,000 men,” Paul said. The data will enable prostate clinicians throughout the world to measure and benchmark the health of their patients after treatment, providing them with vital information to improve the quality of prostate cancer treatment and care. The patient registries will deliver personalised care to more men as the data will allow really big effect on me. I felt a lot of shame and guilt that I was failing as a farmer. I ended up in some pretty dark places. I got to the stage where I really couldn’t see a way out. I hit rock bottom and eventually attempted to take my own life.”
Davies said that it’s difficult to think rationally while you’re severely depressed. He believes that clinging to an idealised image of who he wanted to be, slowed his recovery.
“You’re just in a world of pain,” he continued.
“I’m a husband and a father and I have a loving family, but I felt I was letting them down. I felt that they were better off without me.”
“When we walked away from the farm, I unclipped my identity and I hooked on the front gate and I left it with my farm, because that’s who I thought I was going to be for the rest of my life. I thought I was going to be Warren the farmer and it hadn’t worked out.”
Recent studies have shown that the rate of suicide in regional and rural areas is 55% higher than it is in capital cities. Young men between the ages of 15 and 24 are particularly at risk.
Hazel Dalton, a researcher at the Centre for Rural and Remote Mental Health (CRRMH) in Orange, NSW, said that many contributors come together to put someone in a position where they would contemplate it.
“There’s a lot of environmental and socio-economic factors that come into play that can create a significant amount of stress like unemployment, a relationship breakdown, social isolation, some areas have poor access to services. We also know that there can be poor mental health literacy and [lack of recognition] that you’re in
trouble.” cancer specialists to monitor how patients are responding to new generations of therapies in the real world, outside of clinical trials. It will enable researchers to fast track the implementation of clinical trials that enable us to understand which new therapies, or combinations, deliver the best outcomes for patients in a real-world setting. It will improve patient access to digital survivorship resources such as Movember’s
True North initiative.
The CRRMH has undertaken research that is starting to provide more detail on why mental health outcomes are different between city and country areas.
“For young rural men, compared to their city counterparts, their relationship with their parents and family is probably more important than with their friends,” said Dalton.
“So if it’s good, that’s great, but if it’s not, then that’s really hard. We’ve also found that, while city kids are worried about getting the right job, rural kids are worried about getting a job at all. Moreover, they’re worried about having to move and be away from their social connections and support. So, it’s a bit more challenging for them.”
For Davies, a moment in time gave him the clarity he needed to start on the road to recovery.
“In one split second, I knew [suicide] wasn’t the answer. I call it my ‘two feet of perspective’,” he said.
“You think that it’s a unique thing that you’re going through, but it’s not. The more conversations I’ve had, particularly with blokes, once they’ve heard my story and then come over and opened up to me, I’ve learned that my story is definitely not unique. There are lot of blokes who are holding the same story but who aren’t talking about it. That’s why I do what I do.”
Davies is now a full-time motivational speaker, travelling around the country to share his story with regional communities.
A range of community-led men’s mental health initiatives have sprung up in regional areas over the past few years. One that has received a lot of praise recently is a grassroots mental health program run by Mary O’Brien called ‘Are You Bogged, Mate?’. It all started when O’Brien wrote an article as part of her healing process after two suicides in her region.
“I went into bat for country men and said there’s nothing wrong with them, you just don’t understand them. That’s all I did, and it went viral.”
The ABC’s Landline program ran a segment on Mary’s initiative in July this year. The response was overwhelming.
“I’m quite humbled and blown away by the response that it’s had,” said Mary.
“To me, [my approach] was simple. I spend a lot of time presenting to blokes and I have a far idea of how they tick, the sort of information they want, and how they want it presented.”
Importantly, Mary said that the segment has resulted in a positive response from men in rural communities.
“I’ve had some feedback from service providers that offer counselling. They’ve been talking to blokes who say: ‘Oh I saw that Landline story’. So particularly with Rural Aid and the Virtual Psychologist, the two services mentioned in the Landline story, men have been reaching out to them.”
O’Brien said the COVID-19 crisis has made things more difficult for country people, just as it has for those in the city.
“Rural communities were suffering already from the impact of extended drought and horrific bushfires. When coronavirus came along, everyone was worried about rural people being isolated, but they’re used to isolation. What has changed is they’ve lost their social connections – so they can’t go to the cattle sales, they can’t go to the pub on a Friday night to catch up with friends, there’s no sport.”
Dalton pointed out that there were some positives that have come from the pandemic, however.
“Lockdown forced a change in a lot of health services. A lot of telehealth initiatives that had been sitting on the backburner suddenly got deployed,” she said.
