Ahead of World Senior Citizens Day, we wanted to take a look at the digital mental health services available to support older Australians mental health and wellbeing. Older people often experience mental health issues, such as depression and anxiety, and are more likely to experience contributing factors like physical health issues and loss. The older generation can struggle to share their experiences or seek help due to the stigma attached to mental health conditions.
There are a range of digital mental health resources to help support older Australians coping with mental health concerns. The resources below are designed to support older people’s mental health, their friends, family, and carers. They provide information, counselling, peer support, and tools to help older people take care of their mental health and wellbeing.
Act-Belong-Commit
Mental Health Resources For Retirees and Older People
https://www.actbelongcommit.org.au/resources/targeted-resources/retirees-and-older-australians
Act-Belong-Commit is an online campaign encouraging people to protect and promote their mental wellbeing. The Act-Belong-Commit guidelines for positive mental health provide a simple approach to help individuals become more mentally healthy by being healthy, having strong social connections and making deep commitments to personal pursuits. Their website provides mentally healthy activities and resources to support people as they get older to look after their mental health and adjust to life changes with retirement.
Aged Care Grief and Bereavement Service
The Aged Care Grief and Bereavement Service from the Australian Centre for Grief and Bereavement is a phone and online counselling service for older people, their friends, family and supporters. They also have a website that provides information, resource and factsheets, in addition to the phone and online individual counselling and bereavement support groups.
Aurous Digital
http://www.aurous.org.au/index.php/our-services/aurous-digital
Aurous Digital is a social connection program that aims to enhance the lives of seniors by supporting them to be happy, healthy and socially active. The program connects seniors with friendly volunteers for a weekly chat via video call, providing social interaction and companionship to talk about anything they wish. Aurous Digital helps build social connection for seniors, but also build confidence with mobile devices.
Beyond Blue
https://www.beyondblue.org.au/who-does-it-affect/older-people
Beyond Blue is a mental health organisation providing support and information on anxiety, depression, suicide prevention and staying well. Their website includes information on how depression and anxiety affect older people, the risk factors, signs and symptoms, support, treatment and online forums for peer support.
Dementia Australia
1800 100 500
Dementia Australia provides information, resources and counselling support for people living with dementia, their families and carers. Through the Dementia Australia website people can learn about dementia, how to manage the associated challenges, where to get help, links to other services that can help as well as access telephone and online counselling.
Help with Dementia
https://www.helpwithdementia.org.au/
Help with Dementia is an online and videoconference counselling service from Dementia Australia, supporting people living with dementia, their families and carers. Through the Help with Dementia website people can access online counselling, learn about dementia, connect with people in similar situations through an online forum, and learn where to get help.
MindSpot Clinic
Wellbeing Plus
https://mindspot.org.au/wellbeing-plus-course
The MindSpot Clinic is a free national service for Australian adults experiencing stress, worry, anxiety, low mood or depression. Their online ‘Wellbeing Plus’ course helps adults aged over 60 learn to manage symptoms of depression and anxiety. The course aims to help participants gain more control over their symptoms by learning core skills and improve their confidence and quality of life.
SANE Australia
Aging Well
Sane Australia provides information and peer support for people living with a mental illness, related mental health issues, and their family, friends and carers. Through the Sane Australia website people can access an online information guide for aging well. The guide includes information for older people with a mental illness, families and carers, having a home, support and staying active, health and other issues they may face, planning for change, and where to get help.
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