News @ UOW
Opinions & Experts
Multimedia
Campus News & Events
Resources
Topo Rodriguez to host mental health forum at UOW
Former rugby star Enrique “Topo” Rodriguez will be speaking at a Mental Health Education Forum held at the University of Wollongong on Monday 31 August.
After leaving a stellar rugby career where he played for Argentina and the Wallabies, Topo Rodriguez was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. In 2007 Topo and a group of friends formed the Topo Foundation for Education (TF4E), which is dedicated toward helping those living with mental illnesses.
The Foundation educates people about mental health awareness, reducing the stigma of mental illness and promoting suicide prevention, and has so far addressed around 20,000 people to deliver a “message of hope” about mental illness.
The forum at UOW is part of what Topo calls a “mental health intervention” for the Illawarra region.
“Between 18% and 22% of the [world] population have or will have a mental illness in their lifetime and tragically some 15% of those diagnosed with a mental illness commit suicide,” Topo said.
“By educating everyone about mental health strategies we aim at getting rid of the ‘stigma’ still attached to it. Discussing mental illness is a priority number one for the whole community.”
Topo said he became aware of the need for mental health education in the Illawarra when local MP Noreen Hay invited him to speak at a function in Wollongong 18 months ago about “Destigmatising Mental Illness.”
“Since then I have become fully aware of the very great need for mental health education in the Illawarra and have been so very pleased that the University of Wollongong has taken a leadership role in educating the community about mental health issues.” he said.
“This promotes social responsibility and ownership of mental health issues in the whole community.”
The Illawarra forum will focus on depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder and bipolar disorder. Topo will be speaking at the forum, along with others who have experienced mental illness, including Julie Leitch, Scott Specjal and Nikki Low. Director of the Illawarra Institute for Mental Health Professor Frank Deane will MC the event.
Media please note
The Mental Health Education Forum at UOW is open for staff, students and the wider Illawarra community. It will be held on 31 August in the McKinnon Building (67), room 107. Doors will open at 6pm for a 6.30pm start.
For any enquiries please call: Topo Rodriguez on mobile 0412 403 304 or e-mail info@TF4E.org. Further details about the Topo Foundation for Education can be found at http://www.TF4E.org