Peak rural medical bodies have warned of a looming mental health crisis following COVID-19, saying it is vital patients and as well as their doctors take advantage of the increase in mental health and wellness services available.
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Uncertainty and fear about what lies ahead with COVID-19 is not only impacting rural and remote Australians, but their health practitioners too, the Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine and Rural Doctors Association of Australia said on Friday.
The warning comes as digital youth mental health service ReachOut released new data revealing that unprecedented numbers of young Australians are turning to digital support for their mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Since releasing coronavirus-specific support on March 16, visitation across ReachOut's services has increased by 50 percent (compared with the same period in 2019). This equates to more than 120,000 additional people accessing support, with 93,000 visiting for coronavirus-specific support.
ACRRM President Dr Ewen McPhee said that anxiety around people's jobs and economic circumstances, combined with the evolving social isolation policies and travel restrictions, have resulted in significant stress or mental health issues for some people, right across Australia.
"People have been forced to alter their routines and address new and emerging concerns over many months," said Dr McPhee.
"It's important to acknowledge that in our regions, this pandemic follows on the heels of drought, fire and even flood. People are feeling heightened levels of stress and pressure."
A local view
Dr Rod McConnell, from Goulburn Medical Clinic, said that while Goulburn itself has been fortunate so far in the number of COVID-19 cases, the strain of lockdown could still be affecting residents.
"There has been an increase in the degree of stress we've seen in our patients," said Dr McConnell.
"It's important for people to know that they can still relieve it with things like getting out and going for a walk."
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He also warned that alcohol intake could be on the rise.
"Be careful with alcohol intake," he said, "and be aware that there is someone you can talk to - whether it's your family or a GP."
Phone consults are also available with mental health professionals.
Dr McConnell said that among health professionals in the area, morale was high due to the success of containment in the region.
"We had a few cases early on, mostly from overseas, and none of those were serious enough to be admitted to hospital," he said.
"Those people are now all clear and there are no new recent cases, and people have been doing a great job observing social distancing guidelines, which is fantastic."
He added that as social distancing restrictions are eased, the concern is that cases will begin to rise again.
"One important thing that we are encouraging people to do is to download and use the COVIDsafe app," he said.
"It's essential for contact tracing.
"While our patient response to the app is a bit mixed, probably the majority understand it and think it's a good idea."
Find more information on how to protect yourself, your family and community from COVID-19 at www.health.gov.au.
- Lifeline on 13 11 14
- Kids Helpline on 1800 551 800
- MensLine Australia on 1300 789 978
- Suicide Call Back Service on 1300 659 467
- Beyond Blue on 1300 22 46 36
- Headspace on 1800 650 890
- ReachOut at au.reachout.com
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