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It is estimated that one in five Australian adults in a year will experience some form of common mental health problem, such as depression, anxiety and substance misuse. Mental health problems are a major cause of disability in Australia, ranking as the third biggest health problem after heart disease and cancer.

In February 2006, Australian leaders formally recognised that mental health is a major problem for the Australian community. Commitments were made to reform the mental health system to significantly contribute to the well-being of people with mental illness.

To these ends, it is important for health professionals to have access to relevant materials on mental health, as sound understandings of mental health problems aids in the assessment, diagnosis and treatment of patients. beyondblue together with the Australian Rural Health Foundation (ARHEN) have compiled a list of useful mental health resources. The links to each of these websites are found below. In addition, links are provided to relevant mental health training programs.

Mental Health Resources

www.beyondblue.org.au
or call the beyondblue information line 1300 22 4636
Information on depression, anxiety and related substance abuse disorders and where to find help.

www.crufad.org
Information for clinicians on a range of anxiety and related disorders.

www.blackdoginstitute.org.au
Information about bipolar disorder and depression for consumers and health professionals.

www.bluepages.anu.edu.au/home
Information about depression for people living with depression.

www.bcl.org.au
The Bush Crisis Line offers a confidential telephone support and debriefing service (toll free from anywhere in Australia) to support the well-being of multi-disciplinary health practitioners.

www.ranzcp.org/publicarea/cpg.asp
Contains psychiatric clinical guidelines, and a series of Treatment Guides for consumers and carers available on the following topics: Anorexia Nervosa; Bipolar Disorder; Deliberate Self Harm; Depression; Panic Disorder and Agoraphobia; Schizophrenia.

www.mmha.org.au
Multicultural Mental Health Australia (MMHA) provides information concerned with the mental health and well being of Australians from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.

www.healthinfonet.ecu.edu.au
The Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet provides knowledge and information on Indigenous health.

www.healthinsite.gov.au
Through this site you will find a wide range of up-to-date and quality assessed information on important health topics such as diabetes, cancer, mental health and asthma.

Mental Health Training Programs

Mental Health First Aid (MHFA)
www.mhfa.com.au

The Mental Health First Aid Program was developed in 2001 at the centre for Mental Health Research at the Australian National University. This 12-hour course is designed to give members of the public some skills to help someone developing a mental health problem or in a mental health crisis situation. The program has been well evaluated and found to be effective in improving mental health literacy, reducing stigma and increasing helping behaviours.

The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP)
www.racgp.org.au

The RACGP website contains an education and training section for GPs, with a specific section devoted to current mental health professional development programs. Each program listed on this website has been accredited by the General Practice Mental Health Standards Collaboration (GPMHSC). The GPMHSC is a multidisciplinary body operating under the auspices of the RACGP, and is responsible for establishing standards of education and training for the Better Outcomes in Mental Health Care program. Although the majority of these programs target GP's, many programs are accessible for other health professionals.

To access lists of accredited courses, including contact details, follow the links on the RACGP website.

Rural and Remote Medical Education Online (RRMEO)
www.rrmeo.com

RRMEO is a unique online learning platform developed by the Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine. It allows users to:

• locate educational events, online education, training posts and clinical attachments,
• engage in online modules and online groups.