An introduction to your mental health and wellbeing pack
Why is this pack important?
Mental health is everyone’s business and we are likely to be affected by mental health
changes, concerns or difficulties either personally or professionally through our work
and association with students, staff and colleagues.
About one in five Australians will experience a mental illness and most will experience
mental ill-health at some time in our lives.
What is mental illness or ill-health?
A mental illness significantly affects how a person feels, thinks, behaves and interacts
with other people. It impacts on a person’s ability to perform normal activities like work
and study. Mental illnesses are diagnosed according to standardised criteria.
Mental ill-health also interferes with how a person thinks, feels behaves, but to a lesser
extent than a mental illness.
Mental ill-health is more common than mental illness and includes ill-health that can
be experienced temporarily as a reaction to the stresses of life. Mental ill-health is less
severe than mental illness, but can become mental illness if it is not dealt with effectively.
Mental illness and ill-health comes in many different forms and degrees of severity.
This kit does not describe all forms of mental illness and ill-health. It is a guide for staff
to help identify when behaviours, issues or concerns may suggest that someone is
experiencing mental health difficulties or is showing the signs of mental illness.
When we are faced with disturbing, concerning, aggressive or distressing behaviour it is
often hard to know how to respond. The Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy Group
has developed this kit so you can respond with better knowledge and understanding of
mental health issues.
The contents of this kit are:
- An introduction to your mental health and wellbeing kit (this page)
- A guide to managing distressed people
- A guide to managing concerning behaviours
- A guide to managing aggressive behaviours
- Identifying potentially aggressive behaviours
- Averting and dealing with aggression
- What to do in an emergency - mental health response flowchart [Jpeg, 181Kb] (opens in a new window)
What to do in an emergency - mental health response flowchart [Word, 99Kb] (opens in a new window) - Guidelines for identifying and managing mental health presentations
- UWS and community services contact list
For more information about this pack please contact Student Support Services on (02) 9852 5199 or at mhwb@uws.edu.au.
» Return to the mental health and wellbeing pack homepage
© University of Western Sydney 2012
