Tackling mental health stigmas

Two groups on Eyre Peninsula are helping to tackle mental health issues within their communities.

Meagan Lienert is the leader of the Kimba Mental Health and Wellbeing Group, running since November 2013.

The group consists of nine passionate people who meet regularly at a local hotel.

"We believe in promoting the importance of mental health, being able to openly talk about it and providing support to people going through mental illness, their family, friends and workmates is very important for our community," she said.

"It is not a talked about topic and is often associated with hidden and negative stereotypes and stigma.

"We hope by working together we can achieve better understanding and raise awareness of mental health within our community."

Ms Lienert said with Kimba not having had a resident doctor for a long time, people often did not know where to turn for help with mental health issues.

It was on the back of these issues that the group was established in November 2013.

The group's first event attracted 150 people to the Kimba Hotel in April 2014.

The Breaking Through the Barriers event aimed to increase awareness and reduce the stigma of mental health.

Two locals shared their experiences with mental health issues and STAR Force officer Derrick McManus was a guest presenter.

"We also sent out a survey and used the findings from these surveys to develop programs," Ms Lienert said.

"Surveys were shared on survey monkey, email, facebook and were also put at the medical practice for people to fill out and put in a confidential box."

More than 60 people responded to the survey.

Since the event and the survey a host of other events have been run by the group.

These include a night with athlete Lisa Curry, which encouraged the importance of health, nutrition and fitness, men's watch workshops, men's barbecue nights, a fashion and body image workshop and stress workshops.

Carlton legend Anthony Koutoufides also visited Kimba to speak about his football career and experience with mental health issues.

The Kimba group is well-funded, thanks to a $10,000 Community Benefit SA Grant they were successful in receiving.

And, local businesses and the District Council of Kimba have also offered support.

Future prospects for the group include workshops for the elderly and their families, a supporting the carers workshop, healthy eating workshops, stress management workshops and working with the local council to organise small business workshops.

Ms Lienert said it had been satisfying being involved in the group.

"Many of the people we reach in our community need the help and guidance but are unaware of how to get it or where to go," she said.

"Many individuals have different backgrounds, which has led to the mental health issues they are going through, such as family breakups, personal loss or grief, family fallouts, low self-esteem, money and financial issues, stress, farming and the lows of drought or hardship, loneliness in an isolated rural community or area and many more.

"Therefore our projects will continue to help address these issues directly, thereby improving mental health and wellbeing for a wide range of people .

"The importance for rural help and awareness is just as important here as in metropolitan areas, to improve the quality of life and in some cases save lives but access is always limited by isolation, distance, travel and finances."

Details: Meagan Lienert 0427 272 254, Lifeline 13 11 14