Collaboration between UOW, Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District offers hope for staff on the frontlines of emergency mental health care
Staff working in Emergency Departments in rural and regional areas are often ill-equipped and inexperienced to support patients who are seeking help for mental health problems.
A new collaboration between researchers from the University of Wollongong (UOW) and the Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District is working to change that in a region that is grappling with rising mental health concerns alongside severe staffing shortages.
Researchers from UOW have partnered with clinicians, local consumer and Indigenous representatives, and managers from hospitals on the NSW South Coast to develop and implement a place-based psychotherapeutic skills training program, which will provide Emergency Department staff with the tools to respond to people with mental health concerns, substance use, and other health issues.
The project will focus on the Emergency Departments at Shoalhaven District Memorial Hospital and Milton Ulladulla Hospital, with the aim of combating the high levels of psychological distress, suicides, and mental illness experienced by communities on the NSW South Coast.
Professor Timothy Wand, a nurse practitioner and Professor of Nursing (Mental Health) in UOW's School of Nursing, and Dr Katherine Riley, Registered Nurse and Lecturer in the School of Nursing at UOW's Shoalhaven Campus, will lead the project alongside collaborators from health services in the Shoalhaven and Milton-Ulladulla regions.
Dr Riley said the South Coast was a region crying out for greater support as hospitals faced escalating mental health issues.
"The population of the NSW South Coast experiences high levels of psychological distress and has recorded a relatively high number of suicides compared to other NSW regions. More than 102,000 people in the region are likely to experience a mental illness in any one year, with a greater burden of mental illness borne by Aboriginal people and people living in the more rural part of the regions," Dr Riley said.
"In addition, the region has fewer healthcare professionals compared to the state and national averages. Building psychotherapeutic skills of rural ED staff is central to establishing an environment that is supportive, trauma informed, non-judgmental and thereby enabling a beneficial and positive experience for people presenting to ED."
Professor Wand said Emergency Department staff are facing a perfect storm: a rise in mental health crises colliding with crippling workplace shortages, resulting in undue pressure on those working on the frontlines.
"This workforce shortage is particularly concerning as mental health-related ED presentations continue to rise across rural and regional NSW. This gap between expected mental health competencies and actual preparedness places both ED clinicians and the people they serve at risk," he said.
"Australian studies have reported that rural ED staff often feel less equipped and confident to support people seeking help for mental health concerns, highlighting a broader issue of inadequate training and resources in rural emergency settings.
"While education and training have historically focused on the development of technical clinical skills, ED clinicians are also expected to respond promptly and therapeutically to people experiencing acute states of agitation and mental distress."
The year-long study will begin in July and is funded by the Peregrine Centre's Rural Mental Health Research Partnership Grants.
Professor Wand and Dr Riley will be joined by Dr Lachlan Swan, emergency physician at Shoalhaven District Memorial Hospital; Matt Talary, Senior Peer Worker at Shoalhaven Community Mental Health Rehabilitation Service; Amanda Keaton, Peer Worker at Shoalhaven Mental Health Service; Sharlene Cruickshank, Aboriginal Mental Health Clinical Leader at Shoalhaven Mental Health Service; Stuart Emslie, Director of Nursing and Midwifery Services/Operations Manager at Milton Ulladulla Hospital; Ann Camilleri, Nurse Unit Manager, Sub Acute mental health unit, Shoalhaven District Memorial Hospital; Julia Heffernan, Nurse Unit Manager, Emergency Mental Health Services; and Kate Molnar, Clinical Director Emergency Department, Shoalhaven District Memorial Hospital.
