One of the key areas of concern during the COVID-19 pandemic is the mental health impact of social isolation.
Monash researchers have been key in getting questions targeted at rural Australian included in a national mental health survey tracking mental health effects during the COVID-19 crisis.
Regional Australians are being urged to participate in the national survey so that regional voices are included in any national plans for dealing with the long and short term mental health consequences of the COVID-19 crisis.
Researchers from the Monash University School of Rural Health are key to ensuring rural involvement in a major nation wide survey tracking the mental health effects on Australians of the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to Dr Keith Sutton, a rural mental health specialist in the School of Rural Health, while there are few studies into the mental health consequences of epidemics or pandemics, “there is clear evidence that disasters such as bushfires lead to an increased incidence of post traumatic stress disorder, depression, substance abuse, domestic violence and child abuse,” he said. Surveys conducted after the 2009 H1N1 flu and 2003 SARS epidemics found that immediate mental health consequences included higher stress levels, poor sleep, depressed mood, weepiness, nightmares and poor concentration, with stress levels remaining elevated a year after the SARS epidemic ended.
The current COVID-19 crisis has the added burden of loneliness and isolation, social distancing, working from home, assisting children in home schooling etc. “And these issues may manifest differently in rural, regional and remote areas differently to those in cities,” he added.
The survey is being run by the Monash Alfred Psychiatry Research Centre (MAPRC) and aims to reach 1200 Australians nationally – looking at both the mental health consequences of the pandemic and resilience factors that contribute to good mental health. The survey takes around forty minutes and participants are invited to be re-interviewed every two months over an 18 month period.
Dr Sutton and his team were working on developing a mental health survey for regional Victoria when he found out about the MAPRC study, ” and we approached its lead researcher Dr Caroline Gurvich to see if there was a rural element to that survey and whether we could assist,” he said.
“It’s very important that there be a rural voice in any national survey of mental health.” This has meant questions added to the survey that address rural issues like social disadvantage, according to Dr Sutton.
The survey has already gone to more than 1000 people nationally, however more are needed from rural, remote and regional Australia, according to Dr Sutton. The Monash School of Rural Health is promoting the survey through social media outlets. Dr Gurvich is very encouraging of this collaboration and stated “Considering about 30 per cent of our Australian population live in rural and remote areas. Many of these Australians face a range of challenges unique to living outside major cities. It is essential we learn about mental health outcomes in response to this COVID-19 pandemic for all Australians”.
Survey available via https://www.maprc.org.au/covid19-mental-health
