Living well with anxiety and depression

These organisations can provide specialist support for individuals experiencing anxiety and depression and in particular, those working in the healthcare industry.

Beyond Blue

Beyond Blue provides information and support to help everyone in Australia achieve their best possible mental health, whatever their age and wherever they live.

Black Dog Institute

Black Dog Institute is the only medical research institute in Australia to investigate mental health across the lifespan, their aim is to create a mentally healthier world for everyone. They provide detailed and targeted information about wellbeing for all ages.

Find a psychologist

PsychEngage is a website that can help you find psychologists suited to helping you manage you wellbeing. You can make a list of professionals who interest you, submit a request for their service and book an appointment when they are available.

Hand-n-Hand Peer Support

Delivering free individual or group peer support to all healthcare workers by matching healthcare workers requesting assistance with dedicated, experienced mental health. Volunteers from a similar field and level of training.

Head to Health

Head to Health has over 750 electronic Mental Health resources from Australian organisations with a wide range of information about anxiety and depression.

Support for your profession

Black Dog Institute provides support for staff working in healthcare settings such as doctors, nurses, midwives, dentists and pharmacists. Their service offers specific support to your profession, tailored to issues that can be more likely to arise within your field.

Checking in with yourself is a method of staying connected with your feelings and being kind to yourself. The resources below are can help you understand your emotions, tune in to how you feel, practice self-reflection and identify if there are any areas where you may want to focus your attention or to seek support.

Screening tools

Screening tools are brief psychological tools used to measure an individual’s level of wellbeing and mental health status. These tools are indicative only and are to be taken to mental health professionals for additional support or information if required.

Beyond Blue – Anxiety and Depression Checklist (K10)

This simple checklist asks you to reflect on how you have been feeling over the past month. You will be asked to think about how distressed you have been recently and to identify any possible signs of anxiety or depression. Once completed you can take it to your GP to discuss further.

The Black Dog Institute – The Essential Network (TEN)

This series of questions can help you identify signs and symptoms of anxiety and depression. It will provide commonly used coping strategies and direct you to experts who can provide relevant support.

Coping with change during COVID-19 coming to terms with the ‘New Normal’

The Australian Psychological Society’s information sheet highlights some strategies to help you cope with change, deal with uncertainty and boost your resilience as we look to a future beyond the COVID-19 crisis.

What is Anxiety?

The Centre for Clinical Interventions has a wide range of information which can help you understand anxiety, fight or flight response, common physical and causes for anxiety and depression.

What is Depression?

The Centre for Clinical Interventions offers expert resources that can help you understand depression, cognitions, mood, physical sensations and social impacts.

Managing someone with a mental health condition

Heads Up has many resources which can help managers in their support and decision making. Anxiety and depression affect people in different ways. While most people
are able to keep working, some may need adjustments to the workplace or job to help them continue in their role.

Anxiety and Breathing Information Sheet

Phoenix Australia has some basic information about anxiety and also has a step-by-step guide to teach yourself deep breathing exercises. People who have anxiety can find this calming technique very helpful and is a tool you can use in any situation or environment.

Self-care plan for healthcare workers

The Black Dog Institute has a template self-care plan which can help you identify what nourishes and sustains you, to help you get through challenges and better care for others.

What is anxiety? What’s happening in our bodies? How can it be treated? | ABC News – YouTube

This video created by ABC News provides a description of anxiety, how it works, what parts of the brain are involved and suggestions on how to manage it.

I had a Black Dog

A guided video created by World Health Organisation (WHO) for carers, partners and sufferers of depression. It provides useful tips on how to care for people with depression by using the metaphor of having a black dog.

Your workplace may have education and training readily available on health and wellbeing topics such as Mental Health First Aid, introduction to mindfulness, reducing stress and fatigue management. Contact your education and training team directly, or take the time to explore your online learning platform.

Treat

This app is designed for health professionals to help you find calm, clarity and balance during your busy working day.

Insight Timer

Insight Timer was developed to help calm the mind, reduce anxiety, manage stress, and sleep deeply. If offers guided meditations, sleep music tracks and talks led by the top meditation and mindfulness experts, neuroscientists, music tracks from world-renowned artists and information from the world’s top university psychologists and teachers.

Smiling Mind

Smiling Mind is a FREE mindfulness meditation app developed by psychologists and educators to help bring balance to your life.

Mentemia

Mentemia helps you identify where you might be struggling, then gives you access to simple, safe and fun exercises to help you thrive. Feel happier, build stronger relationships, learn how to cope with stress, and improve your sleep.

Shift

Shift is a free, easy-to-use app designed to help Junior Medical Officers (JMOs) working in NSW to safeguard their mental health and manage the demands of their profession.

e-couch

The program is like an interactive self-help book, which you can log back in to at any time to learn more skills and to help users to understand and manage symptoms.

This Way Up

This app is designed to make a positive change in your life with a range of programs. It offers online programs to teach psychological strategies and skills to improve your wellbeing.

This is Life – ABC national radio

To help you navigate your way through the tough times, in this podcast experts in the world of work and business share ideas that you can apply to your own careers.

Anxiety and the worry bully – All in the Mind

Podcasts describes the experience of anxiety. A ten-year-old girl and a 30-year-old man share their anxious thoughts and their strategies to manage them.

Thrive Health and Wellbeing – La Trobe University

This Podcast draws on the wealth of knowledge and expertise within the La Trobe University community to provide easily digestible and relevant sport, health and wellbeing advice.

Stressed or Anxious? Try this Progressive Muscle Relaxation exercise

Introduction to the experience of anxiety and role of mindfulness. Guided Progressive Muscle Relaxation exercise.