Mental health issues can affect anyone, regardless of age, gender, race or culture. Australia is a multicultural country and is home to people from a wide variety of backgrounds. It is therefore vital that mental health support options are available to people who do not speak English or are more comfortable speaking in other languages.
There are a wide variety of languages spoken here, both indigenous and international. While not all digital mental health resources offer their services in languages other than English, there are a range of resources that offer one or many language options. Others optimise their resources for people of Indigenous or international backgrounds where English is not their first language.
The following resources provide support in a variety of languages and can be used as a self-guided resource or in combination with face-to-face support.
eCentre Clinic
Arabic Wellbeing Course
https://ecentreclinic.org/?q=ArabicWellbeingCourse
eCentre Clinic offers an Arabic Wellbeing Course for people aged 18 and older from Arabic Speaking backgrounds. Based on their standard Wellbeing Course, this course teaches practical skills to manage anxiety, worry, panic, social anxiety, low mood, and depression. The course includes 5 online lessons, Do It Yourself guides, resources, case stories, and brief weekly contact with a clinician via email and telephone. They aim to provide information and practical, proven skills, as well as continually learn how to best work with people from an Arabic-speaking background. Participants must have Arabic ancestry and a Basic English Reading Ability.
iCanQuit
iCanQuit provides information tips for smokers and ex-smokers on how to quit smoking, or stay smoke-free for good. The information on their website is provided in Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Vietnamese and Arabic, to support non-English speaking individuals through their quit smoking journey.
iTalk Studios
https://www.italkstudios.com.au/
iTalk Studios uses storytelling, pictures, and song to educate, empower and connect people. They create animated videos on education, health, law, and money to share information across different languages and cultures. Created in collaboration with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Communities, the videos are offered in 17 Indigenous Australian languages as well as 17 international languages including Arabic, German, French, Hindi, and many more.
New Roots
https://www.ssi.org.au/resources/new-roots
New Roots is an app for men for Arabic, Farsi, and Tamil-speaking backgrounds who have recently arrived in Australia. The app is designed to support and build health and wellbeing, assist with participating in community life, as well as helping to access community and government services. It includes information, tips and tools to help overcome daily challenges and stay positive in a new country, provided in Arabic, English, Farsi, and Tamil. The app is available in the Apple Store and Google Play Store.
Positive Choices
https://positivechoices.org.au/
Positive Choices is an online portal, developed to help Australian schools and communities, in collaboration with teachers, parents, students, and researchers across Australia. The portal provides access to accurate, up-to-date, evidence-based drug education resources and prevention programs. Their aim is to prevent drug use uptake by ensuring teachers, school counsellors, and parents are equipped to provide early intervention, advice, or help for drug use issues. The resources available on the Positive Choices website are available in Arrente, Torres Strait Islander Creole, and Warlpiri.
1800RESPECT
https://www.1800respect.org.au/
1800RESPECT provides 24hr telephone and online counselling to assist people in Australia experiencing sexual, domestic and family violence. They provide help with safety planning, finding support for people directly affected by sexual assault or domestic and family violence, as well as information about helping a friend or relative and guidance on professional responsibilities. The information on their website is available in 29 languages and there are interpreters available for their chat and phone services.
National Dementia Helpline
https://www.dementia.org.au/helpline
Dementia Australia provides a national dementia helpline, providing information and advice to; people living with dementia, people concerned about memory and thinking changes, people living with Mild Cognitive Impairment, family, friends, and carers of people living with dementia, and people who work in health and aged care. The helpline can be accessed over the phone, via webchat, or email. The phone line includes translating and interpreting services.
Beyond Blue
https://www.beyondblue.org.au/
Beyond Blue is a mental health organisation that provides information and support for a range of mental health issues, including anxiety, depression, suicide, grief, substance use, and staying well. They offer telephone and online counselling, as well as online forums for a range of topics. The Beyond Blue phone counselling includes translation and interpretation services for over 46 languages.
Carer Gateway
https://www.carergateway.gov.au/
The Carer Gateway is a national online and phone service, providing practical information and resources to support carers and help connect them with local services. They also offer phone counselling, coaching to help carers in their role, and a community forum. The resources on the Carer Gateway website have been translated into 30 languages.
Kids Helpline
Kids Helpline is a phone and online crisis support service for young people, aged 5 to 25 years. The service aims to support youth with a range of issues, including relationship breakdown, bullying, abuse, homelessness, suicidal thoughts, and drug and alcohol use. The Kids Helpline website also provides a range of information sheets and articles to assist and empower young people. This information can be translated into Chinese, Arabic, Vietnamese, Italian and Greek.
Lifeline
Lifeline is a national crisis support and suicide prevention service for anyone experiencing suicidal thoughts, going through a tough time, worried about someone else, or seeking information and support for a range of mental health issues. Lifeline crisis support can be contacted over the phone, via online chat, or via text, with translation services available.
Mensline
Mensline is an online, telephone, and video counselling service for men experiencing family and relationship concerns. The service includes counselling services, information, and a referral service. Some of the information available on the Mensline website can be accessed in 15 languages.
Transcultural Mental Health Centre
https://www.dhi.health.nsw.gov.au/transcultural-mental-health-centre-tmhc/resources/in-your-language
The Transcultural Mental Health Centre is a New South Wales service, working with people from diverse cultural and linguistic communities and health professionals, to support good mental health. The service provides pathways to care for individuals from different cultural backgrounds and people who speak languages other than English, as well as information and resources offered through their website. These resources are available in 44 languages and can be downloaded, ordered as a hard copy or CD version through the TMHC website.
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