Susan Liersch

Look at me! The dignity of risk

Paper abstract: Australian College of Mental Health Nurses 40th International Mental Health Nursing Conference Honouring the Past, Shaping the Future, 7-9 October 2014, Melbourne, Vic Australia. Disciplines Medicine and Health Sciences | Social and Behavioral Sciences Publication Details Douglas, A., Patterson, C., Watson, S., Gruber, E. & Gagan, A. (2014). Active engagement of consumers in a healthy lifestyle program: outcomes of a multidisciplinary pilot project in a mental health rehabilitation unit. International Journal of Mental Health Nursing, 23 (Suppl. 1), 9-9. This journal article is available at Research Online: http://ro.uow.edu.au/smhpapers/2282 ACTIVE ENGAGEMENT OF CONSUMERS IN A HEALTHY LIFESTYLE PROGRAM: OUTCOMES OF A MULTIDISCIPLINARY PILOT PROJECT IN A MENTAL HEALTH REHABILITATION UNIT Angela Douglas , Christopher Patterson , Elise Gruber , Sarah Watson 2b and Alex Gagan 2b Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health, University of Wollongong, NSW, Australia; 2 Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District, NSW Australia ( The Wollongong Hospital, b Shellharbour Mental Health Rehabilitation Unit) The National Mental Health Commission identifies the physical health of those living with a mental illness as worse than the general community on just about every measure. This paper presents the results of a pilot healthy lifestyle program aimed at engaging consumers with targeted and individualised health activities within a recovery-orientated rehabilitation unit. The ACTive program ran for 18 weeks in 2013, delivered by a team of mental health staff, dietitian, exercise physiologist, academic, and nursing and allied health students. Approval to evaluate the program was received through the Joint UOW/ISLHD Health and Medical HREC. Evaluation targeted quantitative physical health measures for consumers, and qualitative measures for consumers, staff and students. Preliminary results show a grouped average weight loss of 1.1kg, which has clinical significance given the weight-gain challenges associated with serious mental illness. Statistical comparison with a control group is currently underway. Consumers also improved in functional exercise capacity, with 80-metre average increase for the 6-Minute Walk Test, and 2.6 repetition increase in the Sit-to-Stand test for functional leg strength. Feedback provided has identified a number of key challenges to the sustainability and management of this type of program within current mental health service provision environments. Targeted and individualised health programs integrated into mental health services have great potential to reduce the existing disparity in physical health. However, the capacity for collaborative involvement of multidisciplinary health professionals is critical. Furthermore, programs that foster allied health student placement may enhance vocational scope for allied health within mental health services.

Contributing to recovery from a multidisciplinary lens: a case study from a therapeutic recreation initiative

Paper abstract: Australian College of Mental Health Nurses 40th International Mental Health Nursing Conference Honouring the Past, Shaping the Future, 7-9 October 2014, Melbourne, Vic Australia. Disciplines Medicine and Health Sciences | Social and Behavioral Sciences Publication Details Douglas, A., Patterson, C., Watson, S., Gruber, E. & Gagan, A. (2014). Active engagement of consumers in a healthy lifestyle program: outcomes of a multidisciplinary pilot project in a mental health rehabilitation unit. International Journal of Mental Health Nursing, 23 (Suppl. 1), 9-9. This journal article is available at Research Online: http://ro.uow.edu.au/smhpapers/2282 ACTIVE ENGAGEMENT OF CONSUMERS IN A HEALTHY LIFESTYLE PROGRAM: OUTCOMES OF A MULTIDISCIPLINARY PILOT PROJECT IN A MENTAL HEALTH REHABILITATION UNIT Angela Douglas , Christopher Patterson , Elise Gruber , Sarah Watson 2b and Alex Gagan 2b Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health, University of Wollongong, NSW, Australia; 2 Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District, NSW Australia ( The Wollongong Hospital, b Shellharbour Mental Health Rehabilitation Unit) The National Mental Health Commission identifies the physical health of those living with a mental illness as worse than the general community on just about every measure. This paper presents the results of a pilot healthy lifestyle program aimed at engaging consumers with targeted and individualised health activities within a recovery-orientated rehabilitation unit. The ACTive program ran for 18 weeks in 2013, delivered by a team of mental health staff, dietitian, exercise physiologist, academic, and nursing and allied health students. Approval to evaluate the program was received through the Joint UOW/ISLHD Health and Medical HREC. Evaluation targeted quantitative physical health measures for consumers, and qualitative measures for consumers, staff and students. Preliminary results show a grouped average weight loss of 1.1kg, which has clinical significance given the weight-gain challenges associated with serious mental illness. Statistical comparison with a control group is currently underway. Consumers also improved in functional exercise capacity, with 80-metre average increase for the 6-Minute Walk Test, and 2.6 repetition increase in the Sit-to-Stand test for functional leg strength. Feedback provided has identified a number of key challenges to the sustainability and management of this type of program within current mental health service provision environments. Targeted and individualised health programs integrated into mental health services have great potential to reduce the existing disparity in physical health. However, the capacity for collaborative involvement of multidisciplinary health professionals is critical. Furthermore, programs that foster allied health student placement may enhance vocational scope for allied health within mental health services.

Reflections from academic mental health RNs: collaborating with people experiencing mental illness

Abstract of paper that presented at the Australian College of Mental Health Nursing 39th International Mental Health Nursing Conference, 22-24 October, 2013, Perth, Australia.Climate change is causing more frequent and severe adverse weather events that impact large numbers of people and leave a path of destruction leading to long-term consequences. Psychosocial distress including symptoms such as anxiety, sleep disruption, recurring intrusive thoughts of the events and mood changes may affect survivors even though they may not have experienced any form of physical harm (Simpson et al., 2011). The link between extreme weather events such as floods, cyclones and hurricanes resulting from climate change, and psychosocial distress is well established (Friedman & McEwen, 2004; Reser et al., 2011; Sattler et al. 1995; Sattler et al., 2002; Salcioglu et al., 2007; Simpson et al., 2011). Tropical cyclone (TC) Yasi struck North Queensland on Thursday February 3, 2011 between midnight and 1am and made landfall on the southern tropical coast near Mission Beach. The cyclone wreaked havoc across the region; never before has a cyclone of that intensity crossed the coast of North Queensland. A survey of community members, undertaken with assistance from local community organisations, collected data using an electronic and paper based questionnaire. The results indicate those with signs of psychosocial distress were more likely to be older (60.6%) and reside in the area worst affected by the cyclone, were more likely to have been without essential services for an extended period of time, more likely to have inadequate levels of insurance, and more likely to have had experienced moderate or major loss of sentimental possessions, money for living expenses and personal transportation. Community support is one of the major factors in community resilience. Therefore, working with the community to help members better understand the level of current distress is important for the development of response interventions. Feedback to the community thus formed a pivotal component of the study.engage or disengage from the early intervention service. OUTCOMES AND PRACTICE CHANGE Clinicians can have an increased awareness of what influences levels of engagement and this will allow for appropriate changes to be made to individual practice and services in order to enhance engagement for this population. LEARNING OBJECTIVES 1. To understand the impact of disengagement from early intervention services. 2. To hear young people’s stories of engagement and reflect on one’s own clinical engagement with consumers. 3. To understand the factors influencing engagement or disengagement from community mental health teams.

Consumers collaborate to bridge the theory practice gap for nursing students in an innovative 'bush camp' clinical placement

Abstract of paper that presented at the Australian College of Mental Health Nursing 39th International Mental Health Nursing Conference, 22-24 October, 2013, Perth, Australia.Climate change is causing more frequent and severe adverse weather events that impact large numbers of people and leave a path of destruction leading to long-term consequences. Psychosocial distress including symptoms such as anxiety, sleep disruption, recurring intrusive thoughts of the events and mood changes may affect survivors even though they may not have experienced any form of physical harm (Simpson et al., 2011). The link between extreme weather events such as floods, cyclones and hurricanes resulting from climate change, and psychosocial distress is well established (Friedman & McEwen, 2004; Reser et al., 2011; Sattler et al. 1995; Sattler et al., 2002; Salcioglu et al., 2007; Simpson et al., 2011). Tropical cyclone (TC) Yasi struck North Queensland on Thursday February 3, 2011 between midnight and 1am and made landfall on the southern tropical coast near Mission Beach. The cyclone wreaked havoc across the region; never before has a cyclone of that intensity crossed the coast of North Queensland. A survey of community members, undertaken with assistance from local community organisations, collected data using an electronic and paper based questionnaire. The results indicate those with signs of psychosocial distress were more likely to be older (60.6%) and reside in the area worst affected by the cyclone, were more likely to have been without essential services for an extended period of time, more likely to have inadequate levels of insurance, and more likely to have had experienced moderate or major loss of sentimental possessions, money for living expenses and personal transportation. Community support is one of the major factors in community resilience. Therefore, working with the community to help members better understand the level of current distress is important for the development of response interventions. Feedback to the community thus formed a pivotal component of the study.engage or disengage from the early intervention service. OUTCOMES AND PRACTICE CHANGE Clinicians can have an increased awareness of what influences levels of engagement and this will allow for appropriate changes to be made to individual practice and services in order to enhance engagement for this population. LEARNING OBJECTIVES 1. To understand the impact of disengagement from early intervention services. 2. To hear young people’s stories of engagement and reflect on one’s own clinical engagement with consumers. 3. To understand the factors influencing engagement or disengagement from community mental health teams.

I did things I wouldn't even dream about: a showcase of the 'recovery camp'

Abstract of paper that presented at the Australian College of Mental Health Nursing 39th International Mental Health Nursing Conference, 22-24 October, 2013, Perth, Australia.Climate change is causing more frequent and severe adverse weather events that impact large numbers of people and leave a path of destruction leading to long-term consequences. Psychosocial distress including symptoms such as anxiety, sleep disruption, recurring intrusive thoughts of the events and mood changes may affect survivors even though they may not have experienced any form of physical harm (Simpson et al., 2011). The link between extreme weather events such as floods, cyclones and hurricanes resulting from climate change, and psychosocial distress is well established (Friedman & McEwen, 2004; Reser et al., 2011; Sattler et al. 1995; Sattler et al., 2002; Salcioglu et al., 2007; Simpson et al., 2011). Tropical cyclone (TC) Yasi struck North Queensland on Thursday February 3, 2011 between midnight and 1am and made landfall on the southern tropical coast near Mission Beach. The cyclone wreaked havoc across the region; never before has a cyclone of that intensity crossed the coast of North Queensland. A survey of community members, undertaken with assistance from local community organisations, collected data using an electronic and paper based questionnaire. The results indicate those with signs of psychosocial distress were more likely to be older (60.6%) and reside in the area worst affected by the cyclone, were more likely to have been without essential services for an extended period of time, more likely to have inadequate levels of insurance, and more likely to have had experienced moderate or major loss of sentimental possessions, money for living expenses and personal transportation. Community support is one of the major factors in community resilience. Therefore, working with the community to help members better understand the level of current distress is important for the development of response interventions. Feedback to the community thus formed a pivotal component of the study.engage or disengage from the early intervention service. OUTCOMES AND PRACTICE CHANGE Clinicians can have an increased awareness of what influences levels of engagement and this will allow for appropriate changes to be made to individual practice and services in order to enhance engagement for this population. LEARNING OBJECTIVES 1. To understand the impact of disengagement from early intervention services. 2. To hear young people’s stories of engagement and reflect on one’s own clinical engagement with consumers. 3. To understand the factors influencing engagement or disengagement from community mental health teams.