ONE in a hundred Bendigonians were hospitalised for mental health reasons in 2014-15, according to statistics recently released.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
And each of the 919 locals admitted spent, on average, almost two weeks in hospital.
Figures from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare show Bendigo had a much higher hospitalisation rate than other regional centres like Ballarat (1 admission per 150 people), Shepparton (1 in 141) Warrnambool (1 in 132) Melton-Bacchus Marsh (1 in 145), Crewsick-Daylesford-Ballan (1 in 142) and Geelong (1 in 110).
Bendigo had a similar admission rate per capita as metropolitan areas like Coburg (1 in 99) and Moreland North (1 in 98), while it was higher than Sunbury (1 in 119) and Tullamarine-Broadmeadows (1 in 160).
The statistics show that in Bendigo, the 919 admissions spent a total of 12,410 days in hospital in 2014-15.
Psychologist Ivan Honey said the figures highlighted the high rate of emotional ill health experienced locally.
“Mental health is such a big issue in our community. There is a huge need to educate people to understand how to deal with it (emotional ill health),” he said.
According to the City of Greater Bendigo’s website, the proportion of our adult population with psychological distress was 64.2%.
Mr Honey admitted the higher rate in Bendigo could be a regional variation based on who was diagnosing patients, which was very subjective, he said.
The Bendigo-based practitioner said the region’s issue with drug use could also be a contributing factor.
“To me the answer is very much focusing on education and starting when children are quite young,” he said.
“We need to address the root causes in the way people talk to themselves and think about their emotions.
“We need to teach people that feelings are normal and they can be managed and dealt with.”
Stigma surrounding mental health still existed locally, according to Mr Honey, but the state government was helping promote the issue because of the economic impact it was having across the state, he said.
“Briefly we can find ourselves in very poor mental health. We may be down for a while. But it’s important to have an understanding that feelings are not permanent – they come and go,” he said.
“Human problems need to be thought through and worked out in a more rational and logical way, rather than medicating and labeling.”
If you need support contact Lifeline on 131 114, or visit beyondblue.org.au.
