Medcast news and blog
Helping prevent suicide among Australia's Indigenous Youth
Suicide in Australia amongst Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples occur at twice the rate of the general population. Young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are at even greater risk, those aged 5 to 17 years, suicide is the leading cause of death for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children.
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SARS-CoV-2 pandemic is having an unprecedented impact on global health and economics. Australian GPs are on the frontline and they are forced to make decisions in a medical landscape where the parameters for testing are changing daily and many patients are now opting for telehealth consultations.
Right now, most of us are a bit upset in one way or another. Some of us are very upset. Stress, frustration, grief, anxiety, sadness, isolation, loneliness, worry about the present, worry about the future – all these things are rising to the surface in a world that’s being held to ransom by COVID 19.
At 65 and a half (yes, it’s come to that. I’m actually counting the months again!) I find myself reluctantly looking down the barrel of a shotgun labelled “old age”. It’s OK, don’t panic – I’m not unwell. It’s just that my body hurts and people keep asking me when I am going to retire. What is that!
Clinical and Healthcare Improvement through My Health Record Usage and Education in General Practice
Has anyone heard that or a variation of it recently? I’ll bet you have! Many years ago, before I had kids of my own, I used to hear my brother-in-law saying to his bored and whining kids “Come on then, I’ll give you a job. I’ve got plenty for you to do.”
A friend mentioned a really great way for managing this which I have been using and sharing with others. As people are going to have different comfort levels when it comes to spending time together, she told me about sharing her COVID social comfort level with others via a number and asking them for theirs before spending time together.
It’s always helpful to hear how other people cope. Over the next few weeks we are dedicating the Being Well blog to a series called Being Well in Difficult Times. In this blog post we speak to Talah - a a Gumbaynggirr/Yaegl young person who shares her experience of COVID-19.
Whilst significant progress has been made in incorporating these voices generally, there is a call for diversity in these Lived Experience voices, namely Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Lived Experience.
Eating disorders, broadly defined by disturbances in eating behaviour and distress centred on food, eating, and body image, affect nearly one million Australians. This blog covers the assessment and treatment options for various conditions.