The Black Dog Institute is a not-for-profit facility for diagnosis, treatment and prevention of mood disorders such as depression, anxiety and bipolar disorder. It was founded in 2002 by the UNSW School of Psychiatry Scientia Professor Gordon Parker and is based in Sydney, Australia.
Aged care staff are exposed to workplace risk factors that have the potential to considerably impact mental health. This study aimed to explore mental ill health, burnout, and associated occupational factors in a nationwide sample of residential aged care workers in Australia (N = 1085). Cross-sectional online survey data were collected. Rates of depression, anxiety, wellbeing, burnout, and turnover intentions were explored using descriptive statistics. Regression models were used to analyse occupational factors associated with mental ill health, wellbeing, and burnout. One quarter (24%) of participants reported symptoms indicating a probable depressive disorder, and over one third (35%) reported symptoms consistent with an anxiety disorder. Over half (56%) reported burnout at elevated levels. Lower perceived supervisor support and previous assault by a resident/client were associated with significantly higher anxiety, depression, and burnout. These findings suggest there is an urgent need for evidence-based interventions to improve conditions for residential aged care workers, including preventing staff assaults and upskilling managers in supporting the mental health of staff.
Self-harm among young women is increasing globally, yet many do not disclose their distress, leaving families and communities unsure how to respond. Research shows that small, attuned gestures of presence and connection are often the most meaningful forms of support. ReBloom, an immersive interactive installation, was co-created to translate these insights into a publicly accessible, multimodal encounter. Created through collaboration among mental health researchers, creative technologists, artists, and 27 young women with lived experience of self-harm, the project translated research evidence into a publicly accessible encounter designed for embodied, sensory, and relational engagement. Using gesture-responsive interaction, motion capture, color transitions, sound, and narrative movement, ReBloom enabled participants to enact metaphors of attunement, emotional openness, and care. Installed in a large metropolitan shopping center, the work engaged diverse publics across ages and cultural backgrounds, generating forms of interaction ranging from playful exploration to reflective and emotionally resonant encounters. Ethnographic observation and thematic evaluation revealed that participants intuitively recognized the emotional arc of the work and frequently linked the experience to their own understandings of support, empathy, and mental health. The installation also surfaced important paradoxes in public engagement, including the tension between visibility and the desire for more private, cocoon-like spaces for reflection. This case study demonstrates how immersive, distributed storytelling can function as a powerful mode of arts-based knowledge translation, offering new pathways for communicating sensitive mental-health research in accessible, non-stigmatizing, and emotionally meaningful ways.
Self-management is an important skill for people experiencing suicidal ideation, especially when they are not engaged with mental health services. The present study qualitatively examined what helps people when experiencing suicial thoughts in a large sample of Australian adults with current suicidal ideation. A large online population-based longitudinal cohort study of Australian adults with suicidal ideation was initiated in 2023. In the baseline survey (July-November 2023), participants were asked, “When you have suicidal thoughts, what helps?” Reflexive thematic analysis was undertaken. Participants (n = 658) reported a wide variety of self-management strategies. Five themes were developed: (1) Reframing or redirecting thoughts as a reminder to live and have hope, (2) Balancing between staying connected and the urge to disconnect, (3) using formal or learnt preventative strategies, (4) finding an alternative strategy to manage thoughts, and (5) engaging with suicidal distress. There is no one-size-fits-all self-management approach. The significance of social connection was complex, indicating a need for flexible, supportive and non-judgemental social responses. Both clinical and lifestyle strategies should be considered for supporting people at risk of suicide. Moreover, knowledge of the diverse motivations for and responses to suicidal ideation may enable family, friends, clinicians and crisis workers to better connect with people experiencing suicidal ideation.
Existing research consistently shows that first responders are at higher risk for the development of negative mental health outcomes, particularly if they lack effective resiliency systems. The mindfulness-based resilience program Mindarma has been linked with improvements in measures of resilience, optimism, mindfulness, and the use of healthy coping strategies in other first responder populations (Joyce et al. 2019a). The current study is however the first of its kind to evaluate Mindarma within a police population. The study utilised a longitudinal design to test resilience at pre-, post-, and six-month follow up, after the administration of Mindarma. The sample included 78 participants at baseline, 43 participants at pre-post, and 30 valid responses for participants at six-month follow-up. Data analysis of police members’ pre-post training scores demonstrated a statistically significant increase in adaptive resilience among participants after completion of the Mindarma program. Furthermore, results at six-month post completion of the Mindarma program demonstrated that the uplift in resilience had been maintained across the police participants. Qualitative responses outlined the utility of the program including application in work and personal life settings. The current findings highlight that proactive psychological interventions can increase resilience in police populations, and this increase can be maintained after engagement in the program.
