List of topics

Anxiety

2001 Winter Modification of FRIENDS: Strategies for the Prevention of Anxiety in NESB Children and Young people

Paula Barrett and Robi Sonderegger, Griffith University and the State of QLD through the Queensland Transcultural Mental Health Centre (QTMHC), Division of Mental Health full article

Books

2004 No 3 Recovered Not Cured: A Journey through Schizophrenia

Review by Kaliope Paxionos, Carer Consultant, Northwest Area Mental Health Service. Carer Advocate for Victorian Transcultural Psychiatry Unit. Educator and Lecturer.

Book review full article

2003 No 1 Books: Assessing Mental Health Across Cultures

Lena Andary, Yvonne Stolk and Steven Klimidis full article

2003 No 1 Books: Asylum Seekers and Refugees in Australia: Issues of Mental Health and Wellbeing

Diane Barnes, Senior Lecturer, School of Socical Work University of New South Wales full article

2002 Autumn Books: Promoting Health in Multicultural Populations

Hurr, R. and Kline, Michael (Reviewer: Elvia Ramirez, Mental Health Promotion Coordinator, Queensland Transcultural Mental Health Centre) full article

2001 Autumn Books: The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down

Anne Fadiman (Reviewer: Sandee Baldwin) full article

1999 Summer Books: Nobody Wants to Talk About It - Refugee Women's Mental Health (Extract)

Barbara Ferguson full article

2000 Spring Books: Deeper Dimensions - Culture Youth & Mental Health

Edited by Marie Bashir AO and David Bennett AO (Reviewer:Lisa Beasley, Coordinator, Hight St Youth Health Service) full article

2000 Winter Books: Working Towards Culturally Responsive Health Services

A summary of the PROMOTING PARTNERSHIPS IN NESB WOMEN'S MENTAL HEALTH PROJECT funded by the National Women's Health Program. (Reviewer: Jenny Luntz) full article

2000 Autumn Books: Mental Health Consumer Participation in a Culturally Diverse Society

Andrew Sozomenou, Penny Mitchell, Maureen Fitzgerald, Abd-Elmasih Malak, Derrick Silove (Reviewer: Sandee Baldwin) full article

2005 No 1 Resources

Social Inclusion related resources and information full article

Carers

2006 No 3 Carer Viewpoint

Antonia Kapsalis

Having two children experience mental health challenges is one thing, but using that as the start of a journey to local, state and national advocacy and mentoring for CALD carers, is another thing altogether. full article

Caring for people with a mental illness

2008 No 3 - Comorbidity II I didn’t know what to do: Carer, Amar

Margaret El-Chami

Arabic carer, Amar (not her real name), says she initially had no true understanding of her husband’s depression and while she did read up about it, nothing she read seemed to relate to his situation. full article

2006 No 1 inmyopinion

Mujahid Ahmed

inmyopinion is a feature column where we ask individuals from a range of backgrounds and disciplines to address a particular issue. In this article, Mujahid Ahmed, a community health worker from South Australia, shares his knowledge and first-hand experience about stigma and mental illness. full article

2004 No 3 Perspectives on Recovery

By Felicity Zadro

We asked a Consumer, a Carer and a Clinician from culturally diverse backgrounds about their perspectives on recovery. Here is what they had to say... full article

2004 No 3 inmyopinion

Kaliope Paxinos

In this article, Kaliope Paxinos, Carer Consultant, Educator and Lecturer, from Victoria shares her insightful thoughts and extraordinary experiences on the interaction between recovery and culture. full article

2003 No 3 Mental health care and Medecins Sans Frontieres: providing care in spite of everything

Medecins Sans Frontieres (Doctors Without Borders) provides emergency medical aid to the victims of natural and man-made disasters, famines, epidemics and conflict. Every year the Australian section of the organisation recruits around 100 medical professionals to work as volunteers in the field, including a number of psychologists. full article

2003 No 3 In My Opinion:Transcultural Health Education for Multicultural Australia: Culture or Acculturation?

In My Opinion is an occasional feature where Synergy will ask individuals from a range of backgrounds and disciplines to address issues we think are of interest to our readers. In this article, Greg Turner, MAPS Education & Development Coordinator, Queensland Transcultural Mental Health Centre, argues that competence in acculturation and contextualisation is more important than the study of specific cultures. full article

2001 Autumn On "having a mental illness" in the family: Care-giving in immigrant communities

Renata Kokanovic, Eastern Perth Public and Community Health Unit, Western Australia; Alan Petersen, School of Social Inquiry, Murdoch University, Western Australia; Susan Hansen, Eastern Perth Public and Community Health Unit, Western Australia and Vlasta Mitchell, Eastern Perth Public and Community Health Unit, Western Australia full article

1999 Christmas Hearing and Valuing Carer and Consumer Experience and Expertise

Kali Paxinos full article

2000 Summer Survey Results: Warning - caring is a health hazard

Louise Gilmore, Board Member, Carers Association of Australia full article

2004 No 2 Perspectives on Depression

Felicity Zadro

Multicultural Mental Health Australia asked a carer, consumer and clinician from culturally diverse backgrounds on their perspectives on depression. Here is what they had to say... full article

2005 No 2 inmyopinion

Associate Professor Nicholas Procter

inmyopinion is a feature column where we ask individuals from a range of backgrounds and disciplines to address particular issues. In this article, Associate Professor Nicholas Procter shares his insightful thoughts into newly arrived refugee families and the settlement process. full article

2005 No 2 Perspectives on a CALD family

By Brett Pritchard

We asked a Consumer, a Carer (from the same family) and a Clinician from culturally diverse backgrounds about their perspectives on CALD families. Here is what they had to say... full article

2005 No 3 inmyopinion

Joey Windrich

inmyopinion is a feature column where we ask individuals from a range of backgrounds and disciplines to address particular issues. In this article, Joey Windrich, a consumer from Western Australia shares his insightful thoughts about the Diversity in Health Conference 2005 and what it meant to him. Joey’s father is Dutch-Indonesian and his mother is Dutch-German. He was born in Holland and raised in Perth. He speaks and writes both English and Dutch and is currently learning Russian. Joey is studying for a degree in history and a diploma in journalism. full article

2005 No 1 Perspectives on Social Inclusion

By Felicity Zadro

We asked a Consumer, a Carer and a Clinician from culturally diverse backgrounds living in Western Australia about their perspectives on social inclusion. Here is what they had to say... full article

2005 No 1 inmyopinion

Professor Leslie Swartz

inmyopinion is a feature column where we ask individuals from a range of backgrounds and disciplines to address particular issues. In this article, Professor Leslie Swartz shares his insightful thoughts and extraordinary experiences on social exclusion and racism in South Africa. full article

Clinical issues

2007 No 1 A Culturally Sensitive Consultation Model

Dr Jill Benson

A full copy of this article (including references and footnotes) was published in the Australian e-Journal for the Advancement of Mental Health (AeJAMH) Vol 5, Issue 2, 2006 and also in Medicine Today. full article

2004 No 3 Perspectives on Recovery

By Felicity Zadro

We asked a Consumer, a Carer and a Clinician from culturally diverse backgrounds about their perspectives on recovery. Here is what they had to say... full article

2004 No 1 One Size Does Not Fit All: the case of standardised Mental Health Outcome Measures in multicultural Australia

Rita Prasad-Ildes, Queensland Transcultural Mental Health Centre Manager; Bernadette Wright, West Australian Transcultural Mental Health Centre

Mental health services across Australia have been introducing standardised mental health outcome measures, but the applicability of these measures to consumers from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds needs further exploration. full article

2004 No 2 Perspectives on Depression

Felicity Zadro

Multicultural Mental Health Australia asked a carer, consumer and clinician from culturally diverse backgrounds on their perspectives on depression. Here is what they had to say... full article

2005 No 2 Perspectives on a CALD family

By Brett Pritchard

We asked a Consumer, a Carer (from the same family) and a Clinician from culturally diverse backgrounds about their perspectives on CALD families. Here is what they had to say... full article

2005 No 1 Perspectives on Social Inclusion

By Felicity Zadro

We asked a Consumer, a Carer and a Clinician from culturally diverse backgrounds living in Western Australia about their perspectives on social inclusion. Here is what they had to say... full article

Conference

2006 No 3 Communicating Effectively – A Way Forward for Multicultural Mental Health in the ACT

Aine Tierney

The ACT Transcultural Mental Health Network held it’s in inaugural forum, ‘Communicating Effectively – The Challenges and Barriers to Using Accredited Interpreters in Mental Health’ on Thursday the 26th October 2006 at the Theo Notaras Multicultural Centre in Canberra full article

Consumer issues

2007 No 2 A Consumer Perspective

Consumer, Lily Wu, shares her immigration journey from China to Australia. full article

2006 No 3 Consumer Viewpoint

Aloma Lane

full article

2006 No 1 Barriers to mental health care and opportunities to facilitate utilisation of services in Arabic-speaking communities

By Jacqueline Youssef and Frank P. Deane; Illawarra Institute for Mental Health, University of Wollongong

Barriers to mental health care and opportunities to facilitate utilisation of services in Arabic-speaking communities is paraphrased from ‘Factors influencing mental-health help-seeking in Arabic-speaking communities in Sydney, Australia’ by Jacqueline Youssef, et al, it can be read in Mental Health, Religion & Culture, Vol.9 (2006), pp. 43-66. Published by Routledge Taylor and Francis Group. full article

2006 No 1 The Multi-layered Dimensions of Stigma

By Doris Kordes.

Doris Kordes has submitted this article in a private capacity, as PhD student in the Political Science Program, Research School of Social Sciences, The Australian National University, Canberra. Doris is also Acting Program Officer, Multicultural Community Quality Use of Medicines Program, Federation of Ethnic Communities’ Councils of Australia (FECCA). The views presented in this article do not constitute an endorsement by FECCA. full article

2006 No 1 Like minds, like mine New Zealand Project to Reduce Stigma

Brett Pritchard (MMHA) & Selina Robinson (Like Minds Taranaki Trust)

I [Brett Pritchard] spoke to Selina Robinson, Executive Officer of the Like Minds Taranaki Trust about the Like minds, like mine project in New Zealand, and the various strategies that have been used to reduce stigma associated with mental illness. full article

2004 No 3 Perspectives on Recovery

By Felicity Zadro

We asked a Consumer, a Carer and a Clinician from culturally diverse backgrounds about their perspectives on recovery. Here is what they had to say... full article

2004 No 3 What is Recovery? What are the current debates?

Gwen Scotman

Gwen Scotman, Consumer Advocate and Acting Chair of the Australian Mental Health Consumer Network explains. full article

2004 No 3 Recovered Not Cured: A Journey through Schizophrenia

Review by Kaliope Paxionos, Carer Consultant, Northwest Area Mental Health Service. Carer Advocate for Victorian Transcultural Psychiatry Unit. Educator and Lecturer.

Book review full article

2004 No 3 Culturally Diverse Consumers Talk Recovery

Felicity Zadro

Multicultural Mental Health Australia (MMHA) together with the National Ethnic Disability Alliance (NEDA) hosted a symposium, ‘The Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) Consumer Perspective on Recovery’. This symposium formed part of the Perspectives on Recovery conference hosted by the Australian Mental Health Consumer Network in Brisbane, August 2004. The symposium was an opportunity for CALD consumers to talk candidly about their own recovery journeys, their experiences and insights. They shared personal struggles, the effect of stigma on their lives and the experiences of dealing with the health system. The symposium was a unique opportunity for all the participants to hear the rarely discussed CALD consumer perspective on recovery. MMHA and NEDA would like to thank all the participants for their honesty in sharing their stories. Here are some highlights.. full article

2004 No 3 Recovery in Australia - a journey of recovery for a culturally diverse consumer living in Australia.

Evan Bichara

Evan Bichara is a consumer advocate and educator at Victorian Transcultural Psychiatry Unit. This is an edited version of a presentation Evan gave at the Perspectives on Recovery conference, Brisbane August 2004. full article

2004 No 3 Recovery is about Action PITANE: Consumer Run Recovery Service

Desley Casey and Natalie Andrews

Learn more about Sydney's Pitane Recovery Centre which is completely run by consumers. full article

2004 No 3 Chinese Recovery Consumer Group

Ryde Community Mental Health Service full article

2003 No 3 In My Opinion:Transcultural Health Education for Multicultural Australia: Culture or Acculturation?

In My Opinion is an occasional feature where Synergy will ask individuals from a range of backgrounds and disciplines to address issues we think are of interest to our readers. In this article, Greg Turner, MAPS Education & Development Coordinator, Queensland Transcultural Mental Health Centre, argues that competence in acculturation and contextualisation is more important than the study of specific cultures. full article

2000 Winter Whispers of Wailing and Wisdom behind the walls of silence

Vicki Katsifis, Consumer Project Officer, NSW Transcultural Mental Health Centre full article

2000 Autumn Postcard from Abroad: Dreams and Realities from the Perspective of the Queensland NESB Community

Jenny Giang, Valentina Dimoska, Ivan Frkovic, Lucia Reguera & Greg Turner full article

2000 Autumn Books: Mental Health Consumer Participation in a Culturally Diverse Society

Andrew Sozomenou, Penny Mitchell, Maureen Fitzgerald, Abd-Elmasih Malak, Derrick Silove (Reviewer: Sandee Baldwin) full article

2004 No 1 One Size Does Not Fit All: the case of standardised Mental Health Outcome Measures in multicultural Australia

Rita Prasad-Ildes, Queensland Transcultural Mental Health Centre Manager; Bernadette Wright, West Australian Transcultural Mental Health Centre

Mental health services across Australia have been introducing standardised mental health outcome measures, but the applicability of these measures to consumers from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds needs further exploration. full article

2004 No 1 Book Review: Recovery Paths: An anthology of personal journeys of hope

Review by Evan Bichara; Australian Mental Health Consumer Network delegate and CALD Sub-committee Chairperson, Consumer Advocate for Victorian Transcultural Psychiatry Unit (VTPU), Community Educator for MIF

Recovery Paths: an anthology of personal journeys of hope Common Ground Publishing Price: $17.00 ISBN:0-646-42512-9 Available from VICSERV www.vicserv.org.au full article

2004 No 1 CALD Consumer Participation: on whose terms?

Rita Prasad-Ildes, Queensland Transcultural Mental Health Centre Manager

Anyone working in the area of CALD consumer and carer participation will quickly discover that participation means different things to different people. The key to meaningful participation is to understand what participation means in the cultural context of the people or communities you are working with. full article

2004 No 2 Perspectives on Depression

Felicity Zadro

Multicultural Mental Health Australia asked a carer, consumer and clinician from culturally diverse backgrounds on their perspectives on depression. Here is what they had to say... full article

2005 No 2 Working with CALD families: Learning from the experience

Sally Young

An article that shares experiences of working with CALD families full article

2005 No 2 Grandmothering Across Cultures

Dr Wei Leng Kwok

full article

2005 No 2 Challenges faced by CALD young people and their families

Dr Beth Kotze, Director of Mental Health Services, South Eastern Sydney Area Health Service.

This article aims to explore challenges CALD young people and their families face with the acculturation process and the pressure this can place on the family unit. This article is extracted from a full paper available on the Blackdog Institute Website. full article

2005 No 2 Perspectives on a CALD family

By Brett Pritchard

We asked a Consumer, a Carer (from the same family) and a Clinician from culturally diverse backgrounds about their perspectives on CALD families. Here is what they had to say... full article

2005 No 3 Intergenerational Issues

Professor Leslie Swartz, Stellenbosch University, South Africa.

Professor Leslie Swartz gave a keynote speech at this year’s Diversity in Health Conference. Download the full version via the link below or phone MMHA on 02 9840 3333 full article

2005 No 3 NOT “JUST ANOTHER DOCUMENT”: BEYOND THE FRAMEWORK FOR IMPLEMENTATION OF THE NATIONAL MENTAL HEALTH PLAN 2003-2008 IN MULTICULTURAL AUSTRALIA

Meg Griffiths, National Program Manager, MMHA

Auspiced by the Australian Health Ministers Advisory Committee National Mental Health Working Group and released by the Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care under the logo of the National Mental Health Strategy, the Framework for Implementation of the National Mental Health Plan 2003-2008 in Multicultural Australia1 marks a high point for multicultural mental health policy. In this article, adapted from a paper presented at Diversity in Health 2005, Meg Griffi ths, MMHA’s National Program Manager, examines the future “beyond the Framework” and looks at one major Framework action area, Improving Service Responsiveness to Cultural Diversity, to develop an argument that concerted national action is required to meet the Framework’s objectives. full article

2005 No 3 Explanatory models of mental health and reducing stigma among people from CALD backgrounds: Towards a model of culturally sensitive mental health care

Dr Rosie Rooney, Curtin University of Technology, Western Australia

The stigma surrounding mental illness is currently a major obstacle for mental health care and prevention for those from CALD backgrounds. Explanatory models, incorporating beliefs about the causes and treatment of mental health, vary widely according to cultural and linguistic background (Kleinman, 1998). full article

2005 No 1 Resources

Social Inclusion related resources and information full article

2005 No 1 The need for Social Inclusion: The Policy and Evidence Interface

Meg Griffiths

An article on the current policy link to social inclusion mental health consumers from a culturally and linguistically diverse background. full article

2005 No 1 What is Social Inclusion? What are the questions?

Associate Professor Nicholas Procter and Dr Bernadetter Wright.

This edition of Synergy endeavours to raise awareness of factors such as cultural background, poverty, disability, community resources, community action and professional behaviour that influence social inclusion for people with a mental illness. full article

2005 No 1 Community Connections Project - encouraging social inclusion

Jessica Denton

full article

2005 No 1 Perspectives on Social Inclusion

By Felicity Zadro

We asked a Consumer, a Carer and a Clinician from culturally diverse backgrounds living in Western Australia about their perspectives on social inclusion. Here is what they had to say... full article

2005 No 1 Multicultural Carer Support Program for isolated carers from multicultural backgrounds

Ishar Multicultural Carer Support Program full article

2005 No 1 Religion and Spirituality and the promotion of social inclusion for individuals with mental health problems within Muslim communities

Nada Eltaiba

Religion and spirituality are important to many people. Mental health professionals need to take that into account when dealing with individuals with mental health problems, as well as when dealing with family members and community (Richards & Bergin 2000). full article

Cultural Diversity

2007 No 3 Mental Health in a Changing World

Senator Brett Mason

The theme for this year’s World Mental Health Day (WMHD) was: “Mental Health in a Changing World: The Impact of Culture and Diversity”. It provided an opportunity to highlight how culture can directly affect a person’s mental health and wellbeing. During WMHD celebrations in Canberra, MMHA held a special awards ceremony for its National Multicultural Art Competition. It also invited Senator Brett Mason, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Health & Ageing, to launch MMHA’s new series of mental health fact sheets. Here is part of the Senator’s speech: full article

Cultural competency

2007 No 3 Mental Health in a Changing World

Senator Brett Mason

The theme for this year’s World Mental Health Day (WMHD) was: “Mental Health in a Changing World: The Impact of Culture and Diversity”. It provided an opportunity to highlight how culture can directly affect a person’s mental health and wellbeing. During WMHD celebrations in Canberra, MMHA held a special a