Coronavirus Adelaide: SAHMRI offers $320 mental health check for free
A mental health program worth several hundred dollars is being made available for free in a bid to help people cope through the unprecedented stresses of the coronavirus crisis.
Coronavirus News
Don't miss out on the headlines from Coronavirus News. Followed categories will be added to My News.
- Coronavirus: PM to update nation on COVID-19 package
- SA Government fears mental health toll could span years
- SAHMRI coronavirus survey: How well are we prepared in SA?
- How to get the most from your Advertiser digital subscription
A free mental health program has been put online by the South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute to help people cope with the stress and anxiety created by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The announcement comes as the SA Government wanred the mental health toll exacted by the current crisis could last up to four years.
The program usually costs about $320, but Joep van Agteren, research and development lead at SAHMRI’s Wellbeing and Resilience Centre said the organisation wanted to “play our part and help out like our health professionals are on the front line’’.
“We want this out there to as many people as possible as we want to reduce the mental health fall- out of this thing,’’ Mr van Agteren, pictured, said. “We also want people to realise that you can keep your wellbeing and positive spirit high in times like this.’’
Mr van Agteren said he feared the mental health fallout from the virus – with the social isolation, job losses and uncertainty – would be severe.
“The mental health fallout from this thing, in my opinion, is going to be massive,’’ he said.
The Be Well Plan – created in conjunction with Flinders University’s Orama Institute – runs for 10 hours over five sessions and will be online today at bewellplan.com.
There is also a 15-minute questionnaire, which gives feedback and tips. It can also be retaken so a person can plot the progress of their mental health.
Mr van Agteren said the training focused on three key elements – “Where you are in life, what makes you, you’’, and then offers way to build your wellbeing.
“People can use it to deal with some of their anxieties around COVID, but people who are not too fussed about it can use it to improve their general mental health,’’ he said.
The Wellbeing and Resilience Centre will also offer facilitated sessions after the free course for a gold coin donation.
“I think it’s important for people to realise it’s OK to start feeling a little bit worried about the upcoming period,” Mr van Agteren said.
“But when you really start feeling your behaviour is changing, and you are less motivated, and you don’t want to come out of bed, and you don’t want to interact with people even socially through Facebook or through other social channels, it might be that the problems are a little more serious than you want to admit.’’