A University of Wollongong-led study into community-based mental health strategies in response to the bushfire crisis and COVID-19 pandemic has won $426,000 in funding from the Australian Government's Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF).
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Waminda South Coast Women's Health and Welfare Aboriginal Corporation (Waminda), Milton Ulladulla Hospital and the Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District are partners in the research.
The 'Narratives of Recovery - Practices supporting community mental health and wellbeing post bush fires and COVID 19" project will investigate approaches adopted by Waminda and the Milton Ulladulla Hospital to support mental well-being, healing and recovery for their bushfire affected communities when COVID-19 restrictions came into force.
Project leader Associate-Professor Lynne Keevers from UOW's School of Health and Society said the results of the study would inform future health-system responses to COVID-19 and other disasters.
Study outcomes will include recommendations for culturally safe and place-based approaches to enhancing mental health supports that will be able to be scaled-up and adapted by other rural and regional locations in response to pandemic conditions or other disasters.
"This study aims to articulate practices that assist communities regain their sense of belonging, hope for the future, control over their lives and their capacities to care for and to be cared for by Country," Professor Keevers said.
"We will also investigate how practices enacted with health staff, service participants and communities work together to create holistic models of care that mitigate the mental health consequences of cumulative trauma."
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