According to a new survey by Beyond Blue, Australians living in rural and regional areas are disproportionately affected by stress and anxiety, with increasing interest rates, inflation, rising living costs and concerns about the future among the primary causes of community concern.
However, despite the importance of seeking help for mental health, many Australians are hesitant to do so, especially in rural areas where there is a stigma surrounding mental illness.
Research shows that being connected to others is crucial for mental wellbeing and can serve as a protective factor against anxiety and depression. Zoetis, the leading animal health business, has partnered with Beyond Blue for seven years to support mental health initiatives and reduce stigma around mental illness in rural and regional Australia.
During this time, Zoetis has raised $700,000 for the Beyond Blue Support Service by donating $5 from each sale of the company’s livestock, pig, and poultry vaccines and drenches. In 2023, Zoetis has set a goal to raise an additional $100,000 by the end of the year.
Lance Williams, Zoetis senior vice president and cluster lead, Australia and New Zealand said Zoetis works closely with rural Australia through interactions with the country’s farming community, agricultural stores, veterinarians and their families.
“We are proud to once again be supporting Beyond Blue and the important work they do. The farming community has endured many challenges over the years. Through economic insecurity, social isolation, loneliness, and insecure work, we’re seeing an increase in many of the factors that drive mental health challenges.
“Rural Australia and country people are stoic and display considerable courage, however, the impact on mental health has been significant for many.”
Patrice O’Brien, Beyond Blue chief community officer, said social connections are closely tied to our physical and mental wellbeing.
“Feeling connected with others can reduce stress and build resilience. Having someone to talk to and support you is important. People in rural Australia are known for their resilience in times of crisis, but even the most resilient need extra support at times.”
“Timely diagnosis, treatment, and ongoing management of a mental health condition in rural areas are likely to occur later or not at all, often resulting in an increased probability of the most tragic of outcomes.
“We want everyone to know that support is available.”
Ms O’Brien said the journey to better mental health can start with small actions. “It’s important to make looking after ourselves a priority. Maintaining social connections, keeping in touch with friends and family, and being part of a community provides a supportive network.
“Also, understanding which tools and strategies work well for you in tough times and reaching out for that extra support when you need it are really important.
“You are not alone, and you don’t have to work things out by yourself. Seeking support at the first sign you’re not feeling quite yourself can make it easier to bounce back and maintain good mental health. Sometimes, just talking to someone can make a difference.”
People can support the Zoetis initiative between 15 July and 31 October 2023. For each sale of the company’s livestock, pig and poultry vaccines and drenches Zoetis, will donate $5 – up to $100,000 to Beyond Blue.
Mr Williams said the money raised by Zoetis goes directly to the Beyond Blue Support Service to continue helping people living in remote areas.
“To date, thanks to Zoetis’s donation, over 14,000 people have been able to get the support they need through the service. Together we have made strong progress in supporting the mental health and wellbeing of those who live in rural Australia, and we are passionate about helping again this year.”
For more information on how you can help Zoetis to raise vital funds to support mental health in rural communities through its partnership with Beyond Blue please visit www.zoetis.com.au
For more information about depression and anxiety, visit www.beyondblue.org.au. The Beyond Blue Support Service offers free and immediate counselling, advice and referrals via phone, webchat or email.
To talk to a mental health professional for free, contact the 24/7 Beyond Blue Support Service on 1300 22 46 36. Free web chat is also available from 3pm until midnight at beyondblue.org.au/getsupport and you can join the forums for free and download the BeyondNow app from the website.
Here, some Beyond Blue community speakers share personal stories of resilience, and how they have been supported in their steps to better mental health.
John Clark, a former chemical engineer, was once so ashamed of his suicidal state that it took him five months to work up the courage to fill a script for medication after he was diagnosed with major depression. More than a decade later, the father of three prevents suicide through his work speaking about depression and anxiety with men in rural Tasmania.
“I couldn't talk about my feelings because tough guys don't have feelings, and even if we did have feelings, we wouldn't talk about them,” Mr Clark said. “That meant getting help was out of reach for me. I continued to deteriorate and eventually caved in and went to the doctor, just full of shame and feelings of failure.”
This was the start of Mr Clark’s recovery journey. He left the management job that had led to burnout and started spending more time with his children, improving his home life. Along with speaking to a psychologist, he took up hobbies, began exercising in nature and got back to his roots – working on a farm and with his hands.
But the main contributor to John’s wellbeing has been helping others, including as a mental health support and suicide prevention worker. Not long ago, he suggested a miner get assessed for PTSD after being injured in a pub fight.
The miner’s niece later told Mr Clark that this advice had turned the miner’s life around and asked him to speak to her workplace through his new organisation Industry Minds.
“You can make such a huge difference with just a short conversation,” Mr Clark said. “I've found that vulnerability, being able to be authentic, transparent, open and talk about my emotions, to be really empowering. It's one of the secrets to getting better again.”
Rachael Kobold, a business development manager who grew up on the NSW far south coast, found living in rural communities with a mental health condition an isolating experience. She longed for connection. She guessed she wouldn’t be the only one, so she launched a support group four years ago that now has almost 900 members across two locations along the NSW coast.
“I ended up starting up a women's social group to try and counteract my feelings of loneliness and build a friendship base. Having seen that grow substantially and watching the benefits for other women has been amazing. Connections are super important for me, and for rural communities as a whole.”
Ms Kobold had her first experience with mental ill health at just eight-years-old, but she had no idea what was happening to her. Her mother took her to the GP who misdiagnosed her with lactose intolerance. She ended up in and out of hospital, having all multitude of scans and tests for physical ailments, until she read about anxiety in a textbook in her mid-teens. Her anxiety progressed to panic attacks, which prompted her to find an understanding GP, who gave her referral to a psychologist in her early 20s.
Ms Kobold who was diagnosed with generalised anxiety disorder, said, “We talked through what I was going through and a lot of it was alleviated just by finally getting it off my chest.”
Life stressors cause her anxiety and depression to flare up, and she was later also diagnosed with ADHD and a panic disorder. Now aged 28 and living on the mid north NSW coast, she is motivated to share her experience as she doesn’t want others to have to wait so long to get help like she did.
Along with sharing their lives together, husband and wife Garry and Shirley Semmens share a passion for helping others overcome mental ill health. The couple, who live in regional Victoria, were both inspired into careers supporting others after experiencing anxiety and depression themselves.
Mr Semmens, a retired drug and alcohol counsellor, had three breakdowns in his younger years, mostly related to work stress and a relationship breakdown. His mental health improved after taking medication, speaking to a psychologist and learning what brings him joy.
Through his work, he has learnt the key to good mental health is hope. “If you can instil hope in someone, you've got a good chance of moving them forward,” he said.
Meanwhile, Mrs Semmens, a semi-retired community services and counselling trainer, went through significant grief and loss in young adulthood. Instead of processing her anxiety and depression, she threw herself into work and motherhood.
It was only through later studying counselling that her supressed memories resurfaced. Another great loss forced her to get counselling herself and she began practising mindfulness. “I now know from my own personal experiences that it's okay to reach out for help,” she said. “It's a bit like putting the mask on yourself first in a plane. We need to look after self first.”
Mr and Mrs Semmens continue to volunteer their time supporting others with mental ill health. “We've got to get out there and reach these isolated rural and regional communities,” Mrs Semmens aid. “That's what we're passionate about.”
