Abstract E-Poster presentations



In order of how they appear in the program

1

Radiance Outreach 1:1 In-Home Support - A Client-Led, Non-Clinical Intervention Towards Perinatal Mental Health Resilience

Anne Mackay, Susan Kosicki & Josephine Stewart
Radiance Network South West Inc 

Perinatal mental illness (PNDA) affects 1 in 3 mothers and 1 in 7 fathers nationally. Red flagged, influencing factors are multiple and affect behaviours for isolation and disconnection from familial, health and community supports, leading to deepened mental ill-health concerns and vulnerability of family dynamics.

The objectives of Radiance Outreach are to provide non-clinical, in-home support for mothers experiencing perinatal mental health vulnerabilities; most particularly where isolating behaviours and disconnection to familial and community networks are heightening concerns. The support aims to improve:

  • mental health resilience; 
  • wellbeing and quality of life choices;
  • parenting confidence and parent/baby bonding;
  • strengthened family relations; and
  • engagement with health, community, and familial support.

Radiance engages two Outreach Support Workers to facilitate the non-clinical service to families in regional/rural South West WA providing:

  • Social connection and well-being support.
  • Development of client self-directed and paced 'living' recovery plan.
  • Inter-agency referral and advocacy.
  • Supported pathways to Radiance groups and other identified supports.

All evidence clearly demonstrates early, and effective community health supports, social connection, and education does facilitate real potential for re-establishing individual health and resilience of wellbeing, with strong beneficial ripple effects for the whole family during the perinatal timeframe.

Approximately 25% of the parents who reach out to us rely on our ability to advocate for them and support them in navigating the system of government departments, referral processes, and someone to help them be heard.

Radiance has established five levels of service and educational support, grounded in core principles to ensure person-centred and paced recovery outcomes. The ‘mum-baby-family’ sit at the centre; followed by our Outreach program; advocacy and referral pathways; support groups; education and awareness; and online resources and support services database.

2

Proposal to Enhance Cultural Safety through Aboriginal Workforce Development at Geraldton’s New Acute Psychiatric Unit

Marcelle Cannon
WA Country Health Service

With the Geraldton Acute Psychiatric Unit (APU) opening in 2026, the MMH&CADS commissioning team proposes a culturally responsive model inspired by the successful Darwin-based initiative at Top End Mental Health Services (TEMHS). The approach centres on cultural safety, therapeutic engagement, and the development of a structured Aboriginal workforce.

The Darwin model demonstrated that increasing Aboriginal Mental Health Worker (AMHW) presence significantly reduced seclusion, restraint, and the need for custodial practices. Geraldton, with its high Aboriginal population and unmet needs in culturally safe care, is well-positioned to adapt this model.

The strategy introduces a workforce pathway from unqualified Aboriginal Health Support Workers to pre-qualified individuals close to completing degrees in Nursing, Occupational Therapy, and Social Work. Partnering with Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations (ACCHOs), WACRH, and local mentors will support recruitment, peer-led training, and professional development.

Key features include:

  • Tiered roles based on skills, cultural knowledge, and aspirations.
  • Targeted recruitment through Aboriginal networks.
  • Relational security via AMHWs to reduce security reliance.
  • Shared care with ACCHOs, especially at discharge and step-down stages.
  • Clear career pathways (clinical and non-clinical)

Outcomes from the Darwin model included elimination of security staff, fewer restrictive practices, greater Aboriginal consumer engagement, and reduced hospital stays. The Geraldton APU aims to replicate these benefits, offering:

  • Consistent culturally safe care.
  • Improved Aboriginal workforce retention.
  • A trauma-informed therapeutic environment.
  • Sustainable regional career pathways.

This initiative represents a transformative step in delivering culturally grounded mental health care in regional WA.

3

Building Healthy Communities: Mind-Ed, a place-based integrative approach to mental health and wellbeing

Judith Maechler & Erin Statz
WA Country Health Service

We wish to present Mindful Margaret River (MMR) to reveal how a collaborative and asset-based approach to community mental health is a powerful way to utilise our community's social capital, build its capacity, increase the mental health literacy of our community, and consequently reduce mental health stigma amongst our community members. The conference streams align with our organisation’s vision and with the actions we have been undertaking since our beginnings.

Mindful Margaret River’s approach to mental health is grounded in the social model of mental health. It recognises that tackling mental health requires thinking beyond the realms of biomedical and individualistic approaches. While acute and crisis care are vital to addressing mental health and must be adequately developed to suit rural and remote communities’ needs, socio-economic, demographic, environmental, and geographical factors are also important to integrate in understanding and addressing mental health effectively.

MMR adopts an asset-based capacity-building model, facilitating events or delivering workshops to increase mental health literacy. We also understand that hearing familiar voices and seeing familiar faces are impactful ways to break stigma amongst our community members. Therefore, we encourage the sharing of stories of lived experience.

We have established a strong cross-sector network involving school principals, WA Police, and other major local and regional stakeholders. We regularly meet to discuss, address concerns and co-design mental health initiatives that respond to local needs, create education or awareness campaigns, and strengthen referral pathways.

Our presentation aims to share the journey of implementing our model in our region. We will explore the enablers of successful cross-sector collaboration and the practical strategies to embed mental health literacy in everyday community life. Conference participants will leave with a deeper understanding of the social determinants of mental health and tools to foster mentally healthy, resilient communities through inclusive, collaborative, and place-based action.

4

Connection as Prevention: Reflections from a Pilot Youth Mental Health Promotion Project in Greater Bunbury

Rebecca McLevie & Bronte Alston
Investing In Our Youth

Suicide is the leading cause of death for people aged 18-30 in Australia, with suicide rates more than double in rural areas compared to cities (AIHW, 2023). Social isolation is a key contributor to declining mental wellbeing and suicide, yet youth engagement and community connection remain underutilised strategies in prevention. With over 2 in 5 Western Australians reporting feeling lonely at least monthly (Mental Health Commission, 2022), it calls for action to help the community connect.

The Blue Leaf Initiative, funded by Healthway and led by Investing In Our Youth, is a pilot project aimed at promoting youth mental health and wellbeing in the Greater Bunbury region. Blue Leaf aims to prevent suicide through connection, empowerment, and community-led action. Informed by lived experience and co-designed with local young people, the project addresses stigma and social isolation by building capacity across four program pillars: Youth Safe, Youth Aware, Youth Empower, and Youth Connect.

Community-level programs improve wellbeing, belonging, and help prevent mental health decline (Mental Health Commission, 2018). Since its launch, the initiative has trained over 250 youth and community members in suicide prevention, delivered 50+ community events, and involved over 30 young people in co-designed, peer-led activities.

This presentation explores how fostering youth agency and embedding lived experience into program design can break down stigma, strengthen help-seeking, and create meaningful community connections. We explore how empowering young adults aged 18–30 through locally tailored, strengths-based approaches can support them during transitional periods, when they are often vulnerable to poor wellbeing (Carbone, 2021).

Partnerships with local services, flexible engagement, inclusive design and volunteering have all played critical roles in the program’s impact. The session will also examine challenges, including funding sustainability and responding to youth feedback around mental health messaging and accessibility.

5

Co-designing a community-delivered behavioural activation program for rural-residing older adults with chronic pain

Laura Hynes, Martin Jones, Lauren Blekkenhorst, Rosemary Saunders, Irene Ngune, Michael Hunter, Richard Gray & Asangaedem Akpan
Edith Cowan University

One in three Australian adults experiences chronic pain, which significantly impacts daily functioning and is strongly associated with depression. One in two people living with chronic pain report symptoms of depression, with the economic burden of chronic pain now exceeding that of heart disease, cancer, and diabetes. While Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) is the recommended psychological treatment, its complexity and delivery by highly trained clinicians make it largely inaccessible in rural and remote areas. Consequently, many rural Australians face limited treatment options and higher reliance on analgesics.

Behavioural Activation (BA) is a simple, evidence-based psychological therapy for depression that encourages engagement in purposeful, meaningful activity while reducing avoidance behaviours. Unlike CBT, BA can be delivered by trained non-clinicians, including community volunteers. This makes BA an ideal fit for rural and remote contexts where mental health workforce shortages are critical.

A recent scoping review conducted by our research team found that BA may also reduce pain intensity in people living with chronic pain. While further research is required to understand the mechanisms behind this, the findings are promising.

In partnership with the Busselton Population Medical Research Institute (BPMRI), we propose the following program of work:

  1. A systematic review to examine how BA alleviates chronic pain;

  2. Co-production and piloting of a community-based BA training model for rural volunteers supporting older adults with chronic pain.

This research has the potential to address two urgent challenges in rural and remote WA: expanding access to effective psychosocial pain support and building a sustainable, volunteer-led mental health workforce.

As an Early Career Researcher based in a rural region, I have assembled a multidisciplinary team of experts in BA, clinical trials, chronic pain, and co-design to guide this initiative. This work aims to empower rural communities to drive innovative, place-based mental health solutions.

6

Effectiveness of lay worker-delivered behavioural activation for people with depression: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Shwikar Othman, Lauren Blekkenhorst & Martin Jones 
Edith Cowan University

Background

While behavioural activation (BA) has been shown to be effective for treating depression, its effectiveness when delivered by lay workers remains unclear. Lay workers bring lived experience and personal stories that may break down barriers around depression within our communities.

Aim

To examine the effectiveness of BA delivered by lay workers, compared to control, in reducing depressive symptoms in adults. 

Methods

This systematic review searched six databases from inception to January 2025 for randomised controlled trials (RCTs), comparing BA delivered by lay workers with any control conditions, for reducing depression symptoms in adults. Additional searches included international trial registries, and reference lists of included studies. Risk of bias was assessed using the Risk-of-Bias 2 tool. Random effects meta-analysis was conducted using the metafor package in R to analyse data from included studies.  

Results

Of 9614 citations screened, six RCTs met the inclusion criteria, including 1118 participants in the intervention groups and 1596 in the control groups. Findings demonstrated a small but statistically significant effect favouring BA delivered by lay workers (standardised mean difference = -0.28, 95% CI: -0.46 to -0.09; p = 0.0029). High risk of bias and substantial heterogeneity (I² = 76%) were observed across studies.  

Conclusions

Findings suggest BA delivered by trained lay workers may effectively reduce depressive symptoms in adults. This low intensity model of care can leverage the lived experience and understanding of the community, offering a feasible approach for improving mental health, particularly in areas with limited access to mental health professionals. Findings highlight the potential of preparing lay workers to deliver a simple low-cost intervention for depression as part of the solution to increase access to psychosocial support in rural Australia. However, findings should be interpreted with caution due to high risk of bias and heterogeneity of included studies.

7

From their Voice to our Action: Co-Designing Mental Health Activities with Wheatbelt Youth

Jessica Daniels 
Holyoake

Holyoake’s Wheatbelt Prevention Team (HWPT) delivers evidence-based, youth-specific suicide prevention and alcohol and other drug (AOD) harm minimisation initiatives across WA’s Wheatbelt region. Grounded in co-design and the voices of young people, HWPT has implemented a holistic approach that prioritises relevance, cultural safety, and long-term impact.

In 2020 and again in 2024, the Youth Voice Survey captured the perspectives of 610 young people across 51 rural communities. The data identified key concerns around mental health, alcohol and other drug use, identity, and lack of accessible support. These insights directly shaped the development of HWPT's programming, ensuring initiatives are community-informed and outcomes-focused.

Collaborations with the Stephen Michael Foundation and Shooting Stars enabled youth to co-create culturally meaningful resources—including mental health-themed football shorts, bucket hats, and the social movement hashtag #DeadlyGirlsMatter. These initiatives strengthened cultural identity, reduced stigma, and promoted help-seeking through creative and sporting engagement.

HWPT has also led large-scale youth events including a Youth Health and Wellbeing Festival (230 attendees), 4 Year 6 Health, Wellbeing and Resiliency Forums (350 participants), and WA’s first regional In Your Head Youth Mental Health Conference (200 attendees). Evaluations from all Events reported an increased awareness of how and where to access mental health support and showed measurable gains in knowledge around coping strategies, resilience, and harm minimisation.

The Within Your Wallet initiative further enhanced access by distributing wallet-sized cards listing local and online support services. These cards are used as “currency” enabling young people to engage in diversionary activities such as art, cooking, sporting initiatives or pool entry.

By embedding young people in every stage of program design and evaluation, HWPT is achieving tangible outcomes—building resilience, increasing service awareness, and fostering a culture of mental wellbeing for young people across rural Western Australia. 

8

Expecting the Unexpected? Improving Rural Mental Health in the Era of Climate Change

Martin Jones & Gary Greenwald
Edith Cowan University - Nursing and Midwifery

Introduction 

Over the past 12 months, Australia’s rural communities have faced numerous climatic events—bushfires, floods, and prolonged droughts. These events are increasing in both intensity and frequency, posing significant challenges to the mental health and wellbeing of people living in rural areas.

Aim 

In this presentation, we will explore five key areas that offer significant potential for improving mental health accessibility and outcomes for Australians living in rural and remote communities. Each area will be illustrated with a case study to highlight its potential impact.

  1.  A Focus on the Population

    Mental health strategies tailored to the distinct needs of rural populations, considering cultural, social, and economic factors, as well as shared characteristics across rural communities.

  2. New Ways of Working

    Opportunities to expand access to low-intensity, evidence-based psychosocial interventions—delivered by trained members of rural communities—to help close service gaps and increase local capacity.

  3. Embracing Technology

    Leveraging telehealth, mobile apps, and digital platforms to overcome barriers of distance and limited service availability, providing essential support to isolated individuals and communities.

  4. A Focus on Prevention

    Investing in early intervention and community-led prevention programs—especially those targeting young people.

  5. Community Co-Production

    Empowering local communities to design, lead, and implement mental health initiatives fosters ownership, relevance, and sustainability—ensuring solutions are grounded in lived experience.

Conclusion

Bushfires, droughts, and other unpredictable climate-related events—exacerbated by demographic shifts—continue to place a significant mental health burden on rural Australians. This presentation calls for a shift toward community-driven approaches, innovative service models, digital tools, and prevention-focused strategies. Ultimately, it is the people living in rural and remote communities who are best positioned to understand their challenges and to lead the way in developing meaningful, sustainable solutions.