A door-to-door mental health and wellbeing survey has found that of the householders who reported needing support in the last 12 months, 44% did not receive the support they needed.
People Connectors from the innovative Assisting Communities through Direct Connection (ACDC) Project spoke with and offered information to 1,121 householders in Aitkenvale Heatley and Rasmussen, 201 of whom then completed a survey of their experiences with mental health and accessing support.
The most frequently reported concerns among respondents of the survey were housing and finances. 22% of householders rated housing cost, security and availability as a large challenge or problem, and 20% rated financial stress (not having enough money) as a large challenge or problem.
Bill Gye, CEO of Community Mental Health Australia (CMHA), who manages the ACDC Project, says the high rates of “Very High Distress” in certain areas of Townsville, significantly surpassing national averages, are alarming and pose a risk to communal harmony.
“High levels of distress in families and communities can spread quickly among populations. It’s imperative that leadership at all levels not only strives to tackle pressing issues like housing insecurity, economic strain, and climate impacts, but also improves psychosocial support systems. Enhanced access to mental health resources is crucial to empower residents with the support needed for emotional wellbeing and to foster resilience amidst ongoing adversities,” said Mr Gye.
Of the householders surveyed:
- 6% of respondents reported a disability
- 3% of respondents provided care for someone with disability, chronic condition, or mental health issue
The top three issues of concern for householders were:
- 22% – Housing
- 20% – Financial stress
- 12% – Physical health issues
Additionally, 31% of people reported they are worrying about their housing or living conditions.
People Connectors from selectability, who partnered with CMHA, went door-to-door between June and November 2023. They spoke with householders about their mental health and wellbeing and distributed information about free support services available in their area.
Kathryn Konidis, selectability’s Carer Coordinator and Manager for the ACDC Project team in Townsville, says the ACDC Project allowed householders to express their opinions at a grassroots level without having to leave their homes. Kathryn believes this valuable information would never have been captured if not for this door-knocking program.
“What was interesting for me was seeing the high number of householders caring for a person with a disability or illness – this is a large number that could be supported by Carer Gateway, but people are obviously not aware of this service or perhaps faced a few barriers when trying to access it.”
In terms of digital infrastructure, 16% reported having limited or no access to a computer or other device, and 25% experienced one or more barriers to accessing telehealth services. For householders who reported they would benefit from additional support for their mental health and wellbeing, the majority (63%) stated their preference would be for ‘talking to a professional face-to-face’.
The ACDC Project is being implemented in communities across all states and territories of Australia to improve wellbeing and collect important data with the assistance of the Centre for Social Impact. The advantage to local communities arises not only from this preventative intervention but also from the collection and reporting of data on unmet mental health and wellbeing needs, that can and will be useful for (local) service planning.
To access the full Townsville Community Report CLICK HERE
To learn more about the ACDC Project, please visit acdc.org.au
The ACDC Project is funded by the Department of Social Services (DSS).