Medibank and beyondblue team up for mental health

The funds will support several beyondblue projects including research, development and online training for its BeyondNow app – a tool to create a safety plan for people who are at risk of suicide.

beyondblue CEO Georgie Harman welcomed Medibank’s commitment to raise awareness of the benefits of good mental health: “At beyondblue, our goal is to help every person in Australia achieve their best possible mental health and this partnership will support us to achieve this goal.

“There are three million people in Australia living with depression and/or anxiety and we know that with early intervention and the right advice, recovery is possible,” Ms Harman said.

Dr Andrew Wilson, Medibank Group Executive Healthcare and Strategy and psychiatrist said:

“At Medibank, we’re focused on improving the physical and mental health of all Australians. Recognising if you’re struggling mentally is the first step to getting support and feeling better. That’s why we have teamed up with beyondblue”.

“I’ve seen first-hand the debilitating effect of prolonged anxiety and depression. beyondblue has for many years worked incredibly hard to challenge the stigma that prevents people from speaking up and getting support,” Dr Wilson said.

The internet is one of the first places to seek support and find reliable information about anxiety and depression. Because we believe mental health should be a priority, with support from beyondblue, Medibank has launched a mental health portal. It contains tools to help people and their loved ones identify and get support for mental health conditions as well as a variety of interactive content, including videos and checklists with advice from beyondblue and Medibank mental health experts.

The portal complements beyondblue’s national anxiety campaign, ‘Know When Anxiety is Talking’, which aims to help people recognise the signs of anxiety.

beyondblue is a not-for-profit organisation, providing people in Australia with the knowledge and skills to protect their own mental health and the confidence to encourage those around them to seek professional support. beyondblue provides information, programs and services to support people affected by depression and anxiety and to prevent suicide. beyondblue’s 24/7 Support Service is staffed by 50 mental health professionals, offering brief counselling via the telephone, email and webchat.

Mental health is consistently in the top five most common claims for Medibank customers from their 20s to 50s. Data from the Medibank Better Health Index found a rise in mental health issues since 2011, with one in three people in Australia now affected by anxiety, depression or stress.

You can find more information at beyondblue.org.au