Helping people with mental illness flourish through self-development program
12 Mar 2008 | Bernie Goldie
A research team at the University of Wollongong’s Illawarra Institute for Mental Health will soon trial a free self-development program for people with a mental illness.
The innovative program, known as "Flourish" is completed largely at home, using a guidebook and MP3 audio materials, and includes peer-support meetings facilitated by trained mental health consumers.
The project, led by Dr Lindsay Oades, is supported by a range of experienced mental health researchers. The project is funded by Rotary Health and the NSW Consumer Advisory Group, based in Sydney, is a collaborating agency.
Dr Oades said the "Flourish" program was based on positive psychology principles and was designed to assist people to improve their lives.
“It is not a traditional symptom or illness-focused treatment with topics to be covered including strengths, values, hope and flourishing,” he said.
The program includes:
A handbook with information, plus exercises to help people apply what they have learned to their own lives
MP3 audio recordings illustrating some of the principles on which the handbook is based and
Peer-support meetings once a fortnight (six meetings in total)
The program will be conducted in Sydney, Wollongong and Nowra. It will begin in May and run for 11 weeks.
In Sydney and Nowra the meetings will be held from the first week in May to mid-July. And in Wollongong the meetings will be held from early August till mid-October.
As the researchers wish to evaluate the program, participants will be required to complete a set of questionnaires three times during the course of the program -- before the program starts, after the last peer-support meeting and again 12 weeks later.
Participants will be paid $15 each time they complete the questionnaires, and also if they attend a focus group to discuss the program. Participants will also get to keep their MP3 player.
Dr Oades said it was a great opportunity for people to be involved in a state-of-the-art program combining evidence-based positive psychology and the experience of working with other people who have experienced illness and wish to make improvements in their life. As there are limited places people are urged to phone or email immediately.
People who are interested in participating in the program in Sydney, Nowra or Wollongong will need to contact the research assistant on the project, Retta Andresen on (02) 4221 5605, or email, retta@uow.edu.au before 1 April.
Media: For further information contact Dr Lindsay Oades on (02) 4221 3694 or mobile 0439 625 868.
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