Black Dog Institute for Health Professionals

Jocelyn Lowinger is a doctor who knows a lot about doctors’ mental health. She has some valuable insights to add to the discussion of wellbeing in the medical profession, including some ways to help doctors improve the level of distress in a profession that is not known for looking after itself. We’d like to add that online mental health programs such as Black Dog Institute’s myCompass (www.myComp...

Presenter Jan Orman is sitting this episode out, but she knows Wayne Wigham. Wayne is the big bloke that sits at the desk next to hers in the Black Dog Institute’s education team office. He’s an ex-footballer with a big heart and the gift of being able to talk like a real person – especially about his struggles with his mental health. Jan learnt a lot about Wayne from this podcast – and a lot abou...

Amy, like many young people, got lost in a tangle of anxiety and depression in her teens. Amy was one of the lucky ones - she found her way out. Some of the things spoken about in this podcast may be distressing to some people. If you or someone you know find this content distressing and require assistance, please call LifeLine on 13 11 14 or beyondblue on 1300 22 4636. Presented by Jan Orman, pro...

Does the idea of using online interventions to help prevent suicide surprise you? Listen to this podcast to hear Dr Jan Orman and her guests talk about some of the current work being done using technology in the quest to reduce the rate of suicide in the Australian community. Guests: Dr Caroline Johnston - Melbourne based GP with a strong interest in mental health. - Senior Lecturer at University...

Ensuring safety is generally uppermost in the minds of clinicians caring for people with mental illness. Similarly, supporting autonomy and self-determination throughout illness and recovery is widely viewed as an essential component of compassionate, respectful healthcare. Inevitably, dilemmas arise in mental health practice when these two aspirations cannot be held concurrently in their entirety...

This podcast is based on a webinar of the same name presented in February 2018. It focusses on the things we need to know to convince ourselves and others to undertake the very effective non-pharmacological interventions that are available to help us overcome sleep difficulties and discusses some of the detail of those interventions. Special guests are addiction specialist and rural GP Dr Simon Ho...

In this podcast, based on the eMHPrac webinar presented on 15th November 2015, we look at the factors influencing the mental health of people in the LGBTIQ community and the ways in which we as health professionals can help, both in our face to face dealings with LGBTIQ patients and in the recommendation of online resources developed especially for this population. Guest Experts: • Sally Morris -...

In 2013, the First Australian National Trans Mental Health Study reported on elevated rates of depression, anxiety and suicide in transgender people, calling for increased attention to the mental well-being of gender diverse people. Join our panel for this month’s Expert Insights as they explore the issues that underpin the psychological distress facing gender diverse people and look at the ways i...

Dr Simon Holliday says the problem of prescription opiate misuse is very big in the rural sector in Australia. Consequences of opiate use include death, increased pain, suppression of breathing in sleep and sleep apnoea amongst many other things including the social consequences. As GPs we need to be prepared to “invest some time to give detailed attention to all the different complex aspects of t...

The perinatal period is a peak time for mental health difficulties to arise. It is now well recognised that perinatal mental illness can affect the entire family unit, both in the present and into the future. In May 2017, our Expert Insights panel explored the contexts and meanings that surround perinatal mental health. Join our panel of clinicians, researchers, and lived experience representative...

Mental illness occurs across all cultures and ethnic groups. However, every community understands and experiences mental illness uniquely within its own context. For practitioners working in diverse settings it can at times be challenging to provide care that is culturally sensitive, relevant and aware. In our March 2017 Expert Insights forum the panel explores some of the key issues inherent to m...

The second Australian Child and Adolescent survey of Mental Health and Well-Being, released in 2015, reported that around one in 10 teenagers had engaged in some form of self-harm. Many clinicians are finding this reflected in their practices, where presentations of self-harm have become an increasingly familiar response of young people to the way in which they are experiencing their lives. In Feb...

In this podcast Dr Jan Orman gives us an insight into a consultation with her patient Tegan. Tegan has a diagnosis of bipolar disorder. Jan takes a look at the warning signs that trigger an episode of depression or hypomania, for Tegan and explains how the use of the free online screening tools for mania and hypomania used at the Black Dog Institute can help detect a bipolar high.

In this podcast Dr Jan Orman talks to Professor Gavin Andrews, Professor of Psychiatry at the University of NSW, about what GP's can do to help patients get the best out of online programs.

myCompass is a personalised self-help program that you can use on your mobile phone, computer and/or tablet. In this podcast Dr Jan Orman talks to Dr Janine Clarke, one of the developers of myCompass, to discuss the benefits of myCompass and where the future is heading.

Alcohol use disorder is often co-morbid with a variety of mental health conditions. It can be challenging for clinicians to tease out which of these conditions are primary, with alcohol being used as an attempt to alleviate symptoms, and which of these are secondary to the physiological and psychosocial impacts of alcohol itself. In the lead up to Christmas 2016 our expert panel tackled the comple...

For many people living with mental illness, discovering tangible ways in which they can positively contribute to their own well-being engenders a sense of hope and purpose. In our October forum the panel explores the impact of exercise, diet and meditation on mental well-being – which interventions are useful and how are they best applied? Panel members: Simon Rosenbaum - Lecturer UNSW, Honorary F...

Experiences of trauma appear to underpin a wide range of physical and mental health presentations. In our August forum, our expert panel explores current thinking in the field of trauma mental health and in delivering trauma informed mental health care for people living with a trauma history. Panel members: Prof Zachary Steel, St John of God Professorial Chair of Trauma and Mental Health School of...

Despite significant advances in the treatment of depression, there are a number of people who are not helped by the commonly available psychological and pharmacological treatments. Our June Expert Insights looks at some of the newer forms of treatment being pioneered for depression including Direct Current Stimulation (DCS), Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS), Ketamine and modified Electrocon...

Difficulty sleeping is a common presenting problem in primary practice. While sleep disruption can at times be a symptom of an underlying medical or psychological disorder, poor sleep can also negatively impact overall health and wellbeing. Panel members: Prof Ron Grunstein, Professor of Sleep Medicine, Woolcock Institute of Medical Research, University of Sydney and Royal Prince Alfred Hospital;...

Distinguishing between Bipolar Disorder and Borderline Personality Disorder can present a considerable clinical challenge. With some overlapping features and, at times, occurring co-morbidly, making a confident diagnosis can occasionally prove elusive. However, correctly identifying the underlying cause has a significant impact on selecting the most effective treatment approach. In this month’s Ex...

Distinguishing between grief and depression can at times be clinically challenging. While both may manifest in similar ways, there are some key differences helpful in separating the two. However, grief and depression can also co-occur with the course of one influencing the other, further adding to the complexity of the presentation. This month's Black Dog Institute Expert Insight forum brings toge...