MALLEE Family Care (MFC) is addressing the issue of stigma and mental health in the local Afghani community by producing a DVD and incorporating soccer as a mode of improving mental health.
MFC mental health support worker Margaret Wilson came up with the initiative after learning that many in the Afghan community did not seek help for mental health issues, due to stigma and a lack of understanding.
“Through my contact with the Afghan community I discovered that a large portion did not talk about mental health,” Ms Wilson said.
“I had heard incidents of people being ostracised from their community due to a lack of understanding around mental health issues.”
What makes this concerning is many immigrants who come to Australia via a refugee passage are exposed to experiences that can often lead to mental health problems.
Prolonged periods in war-torn regions, fear for safety, being displaced from home and family and a frightening trip by boat that results in time in detention centres are a melting pot for mental health problems to develop.
For more on this story, grab a copy of Monday’s Guardian (May 9).
