Rural Social Work: Examining Mental Health Issues in Rural Australia

This study evaluates the prevalence of mental health issues in rural Australia and examines the socio-economic, cultural, and political factors influencing rural communities. It also explores service models and approaches to meet the needs of the rural population facing mental health challenges.

Rural Social Work

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
MAIN BODY...................................................................................................................................3
Critical examination of the issue.................................................................................................3
Examining the socio- economic, cultural and political context which influences rural
community..................................................................................................................................4
Evaluating various service models and approaches in order to meet the needs of rural
population who face mental health issues...................................................................................5
Personal practice framework.......................................................................................................6
Rural social work practice challenge. ........................................................................................7
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................9
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................10

INTRODUCTION
Youth and other people who has been living in rural areas tends to face high degree
mental issues and complexities. There seems to be high degree of mental health issues and
alcohol issues, drug issues and high suicidal rates among rural and remote community within
young and older male population (Bryant and et.al., 2018). This study will highlight on
evaluating the current prevailing rate associated with mental health and key issues within rural
Australia. Furthermore, this study highlights on examining the socio- economic, cultural and
political factors linked with the mental health issues and alcohol issues, drug issues and high
suicidal rates within rural population. This study also critically evaluates the key provisions
within remote and rural areas. This study will also focus on examining the key policies
associated with the suicide prevention and mental health prevention in order to meet the needs of
rural population who face mental health issues and alcohol issues, drug issues and high suicidal
issues.
MAIN BODY
Critical examination of the issue.
There are large number of indigenous population who tends to live within remote and
rural areas of Australia. Mental disorders in turn mainly comprise of anxiety, schizophrenia,
depression and alcohol and drug usage. They tend to experience high degree of mental issues
like psychiatric morbidity (Alston, 2016). It eventually leads to high degree of depression, co-
morbidity and post traumatic disorders. As per the National Rural Health
Alliance, 2014 large number of young people within the rural areas has been drinking at high
areas when compared with the urban areas. The rate of illicit drug usage within the rural areas
are high which comprises to 16-17%. The teenage birth rates are considered to be 7 times higher
within the remote areas when compared with the urban cites. The suicidal rates for the people
who belongs to the age group of 15 to 24 years of age is considered to be 1.5 to 1.8 times high
than metropolitan Australia. The suicidal rates within the Australia has been increasing
significantly in a remote and rural areas of Australia and is considered to be three times high
within rural areas of Australia. Mental health problems among the adults is mainly associated
with the earlier life experience of the individual. Older people within the rural areas tends to
have varied experience when compared with the other groups. The factors linked with the older
farmers has negative impact on the farmers which mainly includes male suicide, loss of wealth,

decline in the level of education, low degree of employment opportunities. Increase in the
poverty levels, out migration of the youth, etc.
The mental health of the rural people within the Australia has been affected significantly
because of the change in the various level of climatic conditions. There are small business
owners and farmers within the rural area who tends to face high degree of economic stability
within job and which has eventually led to lower income level (Brown and et.al., 2017). There
seems to be increase in the wide degree of mental health conditions which mainly includes
anxiety, depression, despair, suicidal thoughts for the rural dwellers within Australia. Rural areas
tends to highly experience high incidence of suicides which tends to largely influence the mental
health within the rural population. Young people are highly affected by the family distress, lack
of resources, isolation, changes in the mood, etc. tends to result increase in the mental health
issues among diverse population group. Male farmers in turn has been asked to sell the farm and
properties and search for alternative set of business. Losing a farm leads to loss, despair, suicidal
thoughts, depression, grief, etc. Farmers tends to highly believe that their social and welfare
needs are unmet which leads to high degree of anger and frustration. There seems to be
deterioration within the mental health which leads to depression, dementia and anxiety.
Examining the socio- economic, cultural and political context which influences rural community.
The key factors which in turn mainly contributes to the rural youth suicidal in rural area
is mainly linked with the unemployment, access to lethal means, barriers to mental health
services, loneliness, alcohol, isolation, social stigma, barriers to mental health services and drug
misuse.
Rural community tends to have low degree of participation in order to pursue higher
education which eventually because of lack of aspiration. 11.7% of the youth from the rural area
of the Australia are not fully engaged in full-time education programme and employment in the
year 2011. The cultural factor associated with the self- reliance is within the rural areas which in
turn tends to create high degree of stigma linked with the mental issue (Riebschleger and Pierce,
2018). The patients within the rural areas in turn reports high degree of mental health problems
within the non- metropolitan areas of Australia. The socio- economic status, gender, ethnicity
age, educational status, level of physical health, etc. are considered to be as the key major factors
which in turn eventually leads to key factors linked with the mental disorders and illness. Social
and economic factors such as neighbourhood, income level, living of standard, race, gender,

economic burden, poverty, ethnicity, household patterns, labour market, health care
organizations, social security and disability are considered to be as the key relevant measure
which is mainly linked with the mental disorders. Cultural factors such as beliefs, attitude,
personal lifestyle, standard of living, culture, religion, etc. are the key factors which is linked
with the mental health illness among rural people of Australia (Cheers, 2019). Political factors
like low government budget, police violence, ineffective government policies, oppressed
communities, bigotry, bankruptcy, etc. are considered to be as the key relevant factors which are
mainly linked with the mental illness. The key factors which has been affecting the farm families
mainly includes decline in the terms of trade, globalization, uncertainty which has been caused
by the climate variability, values associated with the farm production, declining number of
family members within the farm.
Evaluating various service models and approaches in order to meet the needs of rural population
who face mental health issues.
Alcohol consumption is mainly linked with the high degree of mental health problems
which tends to eventually increase the likelihood of depression, alcoholism, suicide, drug use and
various other mental health outcomes (Tchernegovski, Reupert and Maybery, 2018). The
Australia tends to significantly focuses on providing extending support to the rural people by
increasing the access to the medical services, high degree of education, technological
advancement, etc. to effectively improve the level of services in order to meet the needs of rural
population who face mental health issues.
System theory is considered to be highly significant because it helps in effectively
recognizing how different systems are interconnected and also inter- dependent on each other.
This theory is considered to be highly significant because it helps in significantly understanding
the influence of rurality on the families.
Feminist approach is highly significant because it helps in complete analysis of the
gender differences and how the power has been significantly used for specific groups (Davis and
et.al., 2019). This approach is very useful to overcome gender differences within public and
private affair. There seems to be high degree of intersectionality of gender within the sex, age,
ethnicity, class can be effectively examined.
Mental health issues of the diverse group is considered to be very useful because it helps
in reporting poor health conditions significantly. The Australian government has effectively

developed National mental health workforce strategy which is useful in identifying key
workforce challenges and various set of actions which h helps in effectively supporting the
provisions related with the mental health services within Australia.
The Fifth national mental health plan and mental health drug and alcohol principal
committee is considered to be very useful in attaining integrated mental health system. It is
considered to be as one of the key significant plan because it leads to the prevention of suicide
related services (Roberts and et.al., 2018). This plan is highly significant because it leads to
regional planning and the delivery of the care services. It is very significant in the suicide
prevention and also helps in coordinating and supporting people who tends to have high degree
of mental illness. The Fifth national mental health plan is considered to be highly significant
because it is useful in improving the mental health and suicide prevention of the Aboriginal and
Torres Strait Islander people. It is also one of the key significant plan because it helps in
improving the physical health of the people and also tends to reduce early mortality by
improving access to the care services (Mental health policy, 2020). It is useful because it helps
in reducing stigma and discrimination among the rural people of Australia. The Fifth national
mental health plan helps in providing quality and safety central in order to deliver the best
possible mental health services. This plan is also significant because it helps in ensuring that, the
enablers of the system performance and improvement within the system are in place with utmost
degree of accuracy and efficiency.
Intervention for mental illness helps in effectively treating people who tends to have
range of mental disorders. Family based intervention practice is useful in providing mental
support to the rural people. Therapeutic sessions is useful in improving problem solving skills
and communication which helps in expressing emotions and reducing mental illness. This can be
done by adhering with the best medication and treatment for the rural people to gain effective
care outcomes and results.
Personal practice framework.
Community development and rural social work practice is useful because it helps in high
degree of integration to get better access to the healthcare services and also effectively
developing partnership between health practitioners as it is useful in facilitating planned change
within the communities. Rural areas of the Australia are highly disadvantages and tends to need
both community base d practice and individual based practice (Hine, Maybery and Goodyear,

2018). This practice is considered to be highly significant because it helps in effectively
developing the key policies which is useful in the promotion of the social justice. It also focuses
on creating and also sustaining social networks. This practice is highly significant because it
leads to the development of the local economy, better infrastructure facilities, initiating policies,
etc. Social and community planning is considered to be of utmost significant importance because
it refers to as the key strategies of the community intervention which in turn tends to highly aim
at developing and coordinating various social services. Participatory research appraisal is
significant which has been used within social planning. This is an effective framework because it
is useful in analysing and identifying the community level issues. Community development
approach is useful because it helps in addressing social issues. This approach tends to have high
degree of significant application within the rural practice. It is useful in supporting and also tends
to involve various key stakeholders, coordinated approach and better mobilization of the
resources.
A community mental health practice framework is considered to be crucial and vital for
the mental health service system. It is one of the leading framework because it helps in
delivering social justice outcomes and person centred care to the people. It is a cohesive and
highly collaborative approach in order to put the people first and effective deliver the best
possible service in order to treat mental health (Fernandes and et.al., 2018). A community mental
health practice framework integrate with the body of knowledge in order to support transparency
across the business. This framework is highly significant because it helps in providing integrated
practice within the workforce and rural areas in order to attain better care results and outcomes in
order to treat mental health. This framework is typically based on five values which mainly
includes core practice, culture of practice, family and community practice, advocacy practice and
advanced practice.
Rural social work practice challenge.
There are range of various professional barriers which mainly includes lack of
supervision, few degree of resources, practical barriers, agency barriers and location of
management. Geographic and financial barrier is considered to be as one of the key significant
measure which is mainly linked with social work practice challenge in order to provide the best
possible care and services (Pierce and et.al., 2016). Having access to the mental health service
because of distance and lack of finance is considered to be as one of the biggest challenge which

is linked with getting the best possible care and treatment associated with the mental health
problems.
Lack of better access to the resources within mental and general health services in
particular. The key culture of resilience, self- reliance and stoicism is considered to be of utmost
underlying issue associated with the mental health. Out migration of the youth for work and
education in order to support the income of the family has resulted in isolation for the rural
people within Australia. There are various other significant pressures such as inconsistent
income, lack of information technology skills, retaining of the farm labours, lack of finances,
difficulty in the retaining of the farm labours, increased surveillance and other reporting
requirement, impact of the adverse climate conditions, etc. are considered to be as the key
significant measure which impose challenge on the rural social work practice in order to meet the
needs of the rural people who face mental health issues. The key attitude of the self efficacy and
stoicism prevention, lack of collaboration, lack of trust, gaps within the services, prior bad
experience, lack of access to the care services, major barriers in order to improve health of the
older people within rural areas is considered to be very crucial.
Social workers who tends to practice within the rural area tends to face high degree of
challenges which h in turn helps in assisting individuals who has been persistently living in rural
poverty with social isolation, geographic limitation and limited access to the care services
(Tchernegovski, Reupert and Maybery, 2018). It is highly challenging for the social workers to
uncover new set of opportunities who has been living in the isolated conditions. The rural
communities tend to face various degree of key challenges which comprises of poverty, spatial
isolation, etc. Limited social services resources tends to have low degree of access to the
resources to state, local and federal government. They are coupled with various unreliable
transportation which results in low degree of medical services for the people who has been living
in rural areas. Restrictive cultural norms within the rural communities tends to pose high degree
of significant challenge while carrying out the rural social work practice. However, the rural
social work practice can effectively overcome the difficulties which can be done by improving
partnership in order to improve access to the resources, housing and employment (Hine,
Maybery and Goodyear, 2018). They must also focus on fostering innovation within the
community growth which can be done by improving the health policies, regulations, training
opportunities, increased degree of education, etc. The rural social work practice can effectively

overcome the difficulties by increasing the e- connectivity level, improving infrastructure and
also improving the technology integration within the rural areas in order to overcome such
challenges and improve the care results related with the mental health outcomes.
CONCLUSION
From the conducted study it has been summarized that, The mental health of the rural
people within the Australia has been affected significantly because of the change in the various
level of climatic conditions, economic stability within job, post traumatic disorders, etc. The
suicidal rates for the people who belongs to the age group of 15 to 24 years of age has been
increasing at a significantly higher rate. The key factors such as loneliness, alcohol, isolation,
social stigma, beliefs, attitude, personal lifestyle, standard of living, barriers to mental health
services and drug misuse, ineffective government policies, oppressed communities, etc. are key
factors related with mental health issues. System theory, Feminist approach, National mental
health workforce strategy and The Fifth national mental health plan are key service models and
approaches in order to meet the needs of rural population who face mental health issues. A
community mental health practice framework is considered to be crucial for mental health
service system.

REFERENCES
Books and Journals
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Brown, A.R and et.al., 2017. Rural social work: Recruitment, job satisfaction, burnout, and
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in Australia. International Social Work, 61(1), pp.143-155.
Cheers, B., 2019. Welfare bushed: Social care in rural Australia. Routledge.
Davis, M and et.al., 2019. Mind the gaps: identifying opportunities in mental health assessment
and mental health certificate completion in rural and remote NSW, Australia. Australasian
emergency care.
Fernandes, H.L and et.al., 2018. Lived experience of psychosocial disability and social inclusion:
a participatory Photovoice study in rural India and Nepal. Disability, CBR & Inclusive
Development, 29(2), pp.5-23.
Hine, R.H., Maybery, D. and Goodyear, M.J., 2018. Challenges of connectedness in personal
recovery for rural mothers with mental illness. International journal of mental health
nursing, 27(2), pp.672-682.
Pierce, D. and et.al., 2016. Mental health academics in rural and remote Australia. Rural and
remote health, 16, pp.1-11.
Riebschleger, J. and Pierce, B.J. eds., 2018. Rural child welfare practice: Stories from the field.
Oxford University Press.
Roberts, R and et.al., 2018. Improving the physical health of people living with mental illness in
Australia and New Zealand. Australian Journal of Rural Health, 26(5), pp.354-362.
Tchernegovski, P., Reupert, A.E. and Maybery, D.J., 2018. How do A ustralian adult mental
health clinicians manage the challenges of working with parental mental illness? A
phenomenological study. Child & Family Social Work, 23(3), pp.381-389.
Online

Mental health policy. 2020. [ONLINE]. Available
through:<https://www1.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/Content/mental-policy>