When Australia went into lockdown in March 2020 for 43 days, it was inconceivable that we would still be in lockdown in October 2021. Victorians had a total of 254 weeks days in lockdown. The impact of covid of people’s mental health was substantial.
The Australian Bureau of Statistics National Study of Mental Health and Wellbeing found that during the height of the pandemic, 21.4% of Australians experienced a mental health disorder, with anxiety the most common. Over two in five Australian aged 16-85 (43.7 percent or 8.6 million people) had experienced a mental disorder at some time in their life.
More and more people are taking their mental well being seriously. They are seeking help from their gps and psychologists when they need support. Other ways in which you can help your wellbeing is to stay connected with other people, be physically active, learn a new skill, volunteer and be present in the moment (mindfulness). Mindfulness effective for reducing stress, anxiety and depression.
We have been running free mindfulness session for the past year, in both English and Mandarin. These have been very popular with clients and their friends.
The demand on Wavecare Services during the past three years have been significant, and it does not appear to be decreasing. Demand is still high for people to see psychologists and counsellors, and we hope that the Federal Government commitment to 20 funded sessions per year carries through to 2023 and beyond.
Please see our annual report for full details of our performance.
