How eHealth is improving mental healthcare for rural communities
While being away from the hustle and bustle of the city may seem peaceful, living in rural communities can come with a greater sense of isolation. With over a quarter (28%) of the Australian population living in rural and remote areas,1 eHealth services are helping to provide improved mental healthcare for these communities.
Rural Australians face a range of stressors unique to living outside major cities, due to geographic spread, low population density and limited resources to mental health care. Navigating these different challenges typically takes a toll on Australians living in rural communities, leading to higher prevalence of psychological distress and addiction issues2.
Despite the continued need for rural mental healthcare practitioners, there is currently a lack of appropriate mental health workforce for these communities. The prevalence of mental health practitioners decreases progressively with remoteness, with less than half as many psychiatrists and less than four times as many psychologists in remote areas compared to major cities2.
Peter Hayton, Chief Psychologist at The Banyans Healthcare Group, notes that with reduced access to primary mental healthcare, rural patients are increasingly not receiving the care they require.
“With less access to mental health practitioners, people living in rural communities are more likely to put off receiving help or drain resources from emergency services.
“We created The Banyans at Home package, an online therapeutic support, to help those finding it difficult to receive face-to-face treatment.”
Peter says it is important to understand how the unique challenges faced by Australians living in rural communities can take a huge toll on their mental and emotional well-being.
“We tend to see a heightened stigma related to seeking support for mental health within these communities, particularly due to concerns about privacy, where healthcare professionals are embedded within the community,” he says.
To combat this, for those living outside urban walls, online and telehealth treatment options are helping to provide greater opportunities to receive help.
At home services, such as The Banyans at Home package, provide those seeking remote mental healthcare with a personalised and focused program designed by medical experts for enhanced support and development.
Ruth Limkin, CEO at The Banyans Healthcare Group, says it is important for rural communities to be able to receive the mental healthcare they require.
“All Australians deserve to receive the help they need, regardless of their location. Finding it difficult to receive face-to-face treatment isn’t uncommon. In fact, hundreds of people choose to seek therapeutic support online, instead of attending a residential facility.”
“eHealth services offer an intentional design for remote access, so that people living in rural communities can connect with some of Australia’s most highly experienced medical experts for easier mental healthcare treatment.”
If you or someone you know lives in a rural community and requires access to mental healthcare, head to https://thebanyans.com.au/programs/online/banyans-home/.
About the Research
- www.aihw.gov.au/reports/rural-remote-australians/rural-and-remote-health
- https://www.ruralhealth.org.au/sites/default/files/publications/nrha-mental-health-factsheet-july2021.pdf
Article writen by https://mediacast.com.au/