Medcast news and blog
A new approach to mental health care
I’m a GP with a special interest in mental health. For the past three years I have been working with Medibank health solutions to support the implementation of a range of programs for people with chronic and complex health conditions.
READ ONRecent articles
Moments of Joy
This year I’ve decided to practice what I preach. I’m starting with something that has evolved from last year’s eye-opening experience with keeping a gratitude diary when, along with other members of my team at work, I participated in the 6-week Mental Fitness Challenge on the BiteBack website. BiteBack is a positive psychology-based website for ad
READ ON
On being a GP seeking help
I had an interesting experience at my GP recently. I don’t go to the GP very often. Mostly I don’t get sick. Sometimes I treat my own ills or just soldier on. On the few occasions that I have been to see someone about something concerning me, my overwhelming experience has been of being judged and dismissed. I feel that they think that, as a doctor, I should have not only made the diagnosis but also treated myself. In fact, I should have been better way before I thought to come along!
READ ON
Let’s talk about self-soothing
I talk to a lot of health professionals and it amazes me how often people look at me blankly when I introduce the subject of self-soothing activities. As the conversation progresses I can see most of the blank looks turn to some degree of understanding as they begin to acknowledge the familiarity of the concept in their own lives, but GPs in particular are not generally familiar with the fact that teaching people about emotional management strategies is a core part of therapy, and an intervention that is entirely available to them in general practice.
READ ON
Disempowering Pornography
At the RACGP annual conference this year (GP19) Dr Anita Elias spoke eloquently and persuasively about the psychological impact of young people’s access to, and use of, online pornography. It is no longer just a speculative idea based on clinical anecdotes. Research evidence confirms that viewing pornography at a young age is having a significant and damaging impact on young people’s sexual attitudes and behaviours and their emotional states.
READ ON
The joy of being a headspace GP
Parenting is often challenging - particularly for us as mental health-interested GPs - as we know full well how important it is to get it right with attachment. Thank goodness for Winnicott’s “good enough mother” idea to get us through those sleepless nights!
READ ON
10 things everyone should know about Employee Assistance Programs
What do you know about Employee Assistance Programs and Providers? It’s all too easy as an employee or even as a mental health service provider to overlook the availability of EAPs, but they can provide useful and affordable support for many people facing mental health challenges in the workforce.
READ ON
Some quick facts about 'myCompass'
Since 2012, 17,000 people have signed up to use Black Dog Institute’s web-based ‘myCompass’ program. What is it?
READ ON
e-Mental Health and PTSD
Yesterday I almost cried in the middle of a consultation. I was just back from 2 weeks holiday and one of my regular patients, a young woman with a big problem with self-harm, came to tell me that...
READ ON