Field of Interest:           Medical Health & Research
Grant Recipient:           Orygen Research Centre
Project:                        The Family Anthology DVD
MCF Sub-fund:             Sally Oatley Memorial Fund, Alf and Meg Steele Fund, Social Justice Fund

Isolation, uncertainty, fear, embarrassment, alienation, disbelief … any number of words can describe the bewilderment of a family dealing with the mental illness of a young person. Through a number of focus groups, Orygen identified that families and carers want to understand how the psychiatric system works for them and what information is readily available.

While respectful of expert opinion, they really wish to hear from people who have confronted the same issues and have common experiences. To address this need, Orygen has developed a DVD of family anthologies that document the first hand accounts of families and carers experience of caring fro a young person with a developing or first episode of mental illness.

Funds provided by 3 of MCF’s sub funds have enabled the production of this DVD entitled Where There’s Hope: Family Experiences of Living With Youth Mental Illness.

The aim of the DVD is to provide a sense of hope for families dealing with the distressing experiences of initial diagnosis of an illness; provide a range of information about the various emotional responses and coping strategies of carers to the experience of caring for a young person with a mental illness and reduce the sense of isolation commonly felt by carers.

The DVD follows the stories of 3 families as they journey from awareness that ‘something isn’t quite right’, to the realisation that with appropriate support and knowledge there is a hopeful future.

This DVD is intended for families new to the experience of youth mental illness, who might find themselves bewildered and confused about what has happened to their child, and to them, as a family. It will also be a key resource for schools, health and support organisations and the broader community.

For more information about Orygen Youth Health or to purchase a copy of the DVD go to www.orygen.org.au