Healthy city
We’re proud to bring you stories about the great work being done around mental health
As Australia’s first mentally healthy city, Townsville has all the right ingredients to support our residents when they need help. The next step, and continued challenge, is ensuring we know how to access that help.
Through the next two weeks, the Bulletin will focus on three key pillars of our next Future Townsville advocacy campaign: mental health, Indigenous health and aged care.
Today, we bring you stories of some of the fantastic work being done at Townsville Hospital and Health Service, Mater Hospital and Townsville TAFE in looking after our city, as well as the wonderful Cowboys House.
A mentally healthy city “addresses mental health as a comprehensive, whole of life, health and wellbeing agenda involving individuals and the support of the community”.
Education around health, particularly mental health, needs to start from an early age.
The more it’s widely discussed in the community and media, as well as the home, the easier it will be to remove any stigma around asking for help if we need it.
Townsville University Hospital pediatrician Dr Jason Yates urges parents to be aware of their child’s screen time and what they’re accessing online.
“Our priority should be making sure our children are watching age-appropriate entertainment, they’re safe online and getting outside with their friends,” he said.
“Kids are now being bullied in their safe place which is their home and the impacts on their mental health can be immense.”
As children progress from primary school through to high school, their mental health needs change – and it’s programs such as Cowboys House doing wonders for Indigenous teens.
More than 100 students from Australia’s most remote communities are supported at the house and given opportunities to progress their education while learning about wellbeing, culture and career transitions.
We look forward to bringing you more stories about the great work being done across our community in the health space as we create a better Future for Townsville.