Mental health: Rural communities doing it tough and the women aiding our friends

After droughts and extended lockdowns, the mental health of rural communities is at the forefront of the minds of these three women.

They have feed up to their eyeballs and are rolling in fat cattle, but not too long ago Katie O’Brien and her family were in a dark place.

She and husband Justin run Santolina Santa Gertrudis cattle stud at Five Ways, in Central West NSW.

Three years ago, in the thick of drought, they had exhausted their reserves and couldn’t see a way to feed their cattle. A toxic mix of depression, anxiety and self-contempt set in.

“We hit rock bottom,” Katie said. “My husband was not in a good way. You feel like you have failed,” she said.

In desperation, Katie reached out to Aussie Helpers, a charity founded in 2002 to provide financial assistance, counselling, livestock feed and essentials to farming families during tough times.

A visit from the charity’s late founder, Brian Egan, helped the couple turn a corner.

Incredibly grateful for the support, Katie started volunteering for the group, and now works full-time in the role, travelling across NSW, Queensland, South Australia and Victoria to start important conversations about mental health with other farmers doing it tough.

She said while there were support services out there, more needed to be done to lower the barriers to seeking help.

“Not a lot of people want to admit they have been to that place,” she said. “Getting rid of that stigma (around mental health) – there is still a lot of groundwork to do with that.”

Cattle farmer and Aussie Helpers worker Katie O'Brien started as a volunteer for the charity, which supports rural families doing it tough.

While services are expanding for rural adults, Jendira mother Monique Tucker is pushing for more mental health services for rural children.

Monique has spent the past 10 months supporting her 16-year-old daughter, who was diagnosed with an eating disorder in December.

The disease – anorexia nervosa – developed when Covid lockdowns up-ended life in their NSW town, north of Albury, in March last year.

“Because of lockdown, and she hid it so well, no one knew what was happening with the weight loss,” Monique said.

“She went from a very strong, athletic dancer to a girl who has not returned to dance and is not allowed to.”

Jindera mother Monique Tucker is advocating for more services in rural areas to support children and teens with eating disorders. Picture: Supplied

Eating disorders have spiked during Covid, with charity Butterfly Foundation reporting support line calls have increased 60 per cent.

“We are a rural area – a country town – and it is happening all around us,” Monique said

“I think it’s becoming stronger that people want to understand it and know how to deal with it.”

The physical symptoms – dangerously low heart rate and stressed internal organs – are just one part of the disease. Mental recovery could be a “10 year journey”, Monique said.

The Tuckers navigate a complicated support plan, seeing a paediatrician, dietitian, psychologist and family therapist.

“The biggest thing is you can’t access eating disorder specialists (in rural communities),” said Monique, calling for more public education, and an eating disorder unit to be included in a new hospital planned for the region.

Horsham kinesiologist and wellness consultant Arnna Pickering started a "Random Acts of Kindness" initiative in her community, to help support women and businesses struggling through multiple lockdowns.

Horsham kinesiologist and wellness consultant Arnna Pickering started a "Random Acts of Kindness" initiative in her community, to help support women and businesses struggling through multiple lockdowns. Picture: Supplied

In Horsham, wellbeing consultant Arnna Pickering also sees an urgent need for more rural mental health support services.

“We are struggling for mental health workers at the best of times, let alone in a pandemic,” Arnna said.

She started a grassroots “Random Acts of Kindness” campaign last year, asking people to support local businesses by buying gift boxes, then sending them to people doing it tough, to lift spirits.

People jumped on board, with more than 200 boxes sent so far across Victoria’s northwest, South Australia and NSW.