- NEWS
The demographic characteristics give
rise to unique mental health needs among the Gold Coast population.
 Infant
and child mental health services are needed to respond to the
consequences for children of marital and family breakdown. Mental health
services for children and adolescents are required to provide prevention
programs and early intervention treatments to stop children and
adolescents from developing psychiatric problems as adults. Drug use and
poly substance abuse are common problems among teenage and young adult
members of the Gold Coast community. Drug use leads to the early onset
of psychiatric illness or to the worsening of or established psychiatric
illness.
These problems add
to the complexity and chronicity of psychiatric illness on the Gold
Coast. Many young people who have already developed mental illness come
to the Gold Coast looking for a solution to their problem.
Unfortunately, many do not recover and find themselves socially isolated
and away from family supports. This lack of social and family resources
creates additional problems for these young people and for the community
and the social and mental health services for caring for them.
The other end of the life span, older folk often come to the Gold Coast
and Tweed to retire and enjoy the benefits of the climate and geography
of this region of Australia. Many of these people have limited financial
resources and leave their families behind in other parts of Australia
and New Zealand. If mental illness develops, these individuals are often
without family supports and become isolated. The higher than average
proportion of retired and older people in the Gold Coast and Tweed area
also means that mental illness arising from degenerative brain disease
(eg. dementia, cerebrovascular disease, Parkinson’s disease) is common.
Although the mental health profile of the Gold
Coast and Tweed region includes many of the challenges just described, the
region has many virtues that are positive for mental health.
 Climate
is equitable and mild most of the year. As a result people can live
relatively inexpensively and the outdoors can be used for recreation,
sports and socialization on a constant and regular basis year-round.
There are now a significant number of mental health professionals
providing services to individuals suffering from mental illness. These
professionals include General Practitioners, Mental Health Nurses,
Psychologists, Counselors, Allied Health Professionals (Occupational
Therapists, Social Workers), and Psychiatrists.
A growing list of patient/client/consumer support and advocacy groups is
present on the Gold Coast. Carers groups have been established. Non
government bodies devoted to assisting people with mental illness,
advocating for their needs and providing services are becoming better
represented on the Gold Coast.
Public mental health services are available through local hospitals
(Gold Coast Hospital, Robina Hospital, and Tweed Hospital) and community
mental health clinics. One private psychiatric hospital (Palm Beach
Currumbin Clinic) operates on the Gold Coast and there are a number of
residential drug and alcohol treatment facilities.
Local universities have become interested in providing education,
training and research opportunities for mental health professionals on
the Gold Coast. The planned development of two new medical schools on
the Gold Coast at Griffith University and Bond University will focus the
attention of these institutions on the provision of mental health
services alongside the development of mental health education and
training programs.
Local government, Sate
government and Commonwealth government have all been interested in trying to identify the mental health needs of
the Gold Coast region and provide programs that target areas of need.
Over the years, local mental health resources have been developed to try
to meet some of the unique mental health needs of the Gold Coast and
Tweed region. These services have been much appreciated but have not yet
reached the capacity or level of differentiation required for the Gold
Coast. Further advances in mental health on the Gold Coast now demand a
coordinating body to advance knowledge, training, education and research
in mental health, and to champion better mental health for Gold Coast
and Tweed citizens and to advocate for better mental health services for
this community. Advances in professional development among the wide
number of mental health disciplines on the Gold Coast will depend upon
an effective coordinating organization to meet educational, training and
professional development needs of these service providers.
The Gold Coast Institute of Mental Health was established to meet
this challenge.
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