Discussions and concerns around the coronavirus outbreak and practising self-isolation can be stressful and it can impact our mental health and wellbeing. It’s normal to feel a range of emotions, such as stress, worry, anxiety, boredom, or low mood. Many people feel distressed and overwhelmed by the constant news and the amount of information about the situation. You can look into these available support services and information made available to the communities by the Australian government if you are looking to get assistance for yours or someone else’s mental health.

Here you will find information on the additional funding announced by the Australian Government, information about and a link to the National Mental Health and Wellbeing Pandemic Response Plan agreed by National Cabinet, and links to webinars hosted by the Department of Health which have been a critical part in keeping the mental health and other sector stakeholders up to date about the Government’s response efforts.

There are also links to some resources to help support mental health during this time.

Childhood is an important stage for building social and emotional skills to cope with challenges in life. Growing up in a supportive environment may help a child to learn to express thoughts and feelings, and to manage their behaviour. They may also be better able to form healthy relationships with others. Yet, some children who grow up in healthy environments can also develop mental health problems.

Look into resources that support children to ensure they live a happy & healthy life.

Humans are susceptible to many different infectious diseases, including coronavirus (COVID-19). Worrying about diseases is a normal reaction. But, excessive worrying about infectious diseases can affect both our physical and our mental health.

In this resource page, you can access practical psychological skills to help you and your loved ones cope with anxiety and worry about infectious diseases.

Worries about money, feeling cut off from your community or separated from your family, can make you feel stressed, isolated and lonely. Looking after your mental health and wellbeing have never been more important. If you don’t know where to start looking for support, Head to Health has some resources that might help. Resources are also available to help if you are supporting someone else who might be having difficulties.