Senior professionals and middle managers are experiencing increased burnout and stress, leading to higher alcohol consumption, and there is a need for better support and resources for mental health and addiction treatment in Australia, according to Ruth Limkin, Founder of The Banyans and Chief Development Officer at parent Sana Health Group.
“Burnout and stress is likely due to the immense pressure and crisis management they have been facing, leading to a need for self-care. Middle managers are more likely to take out work stress on their family, so it’s important to have conversations and provide support.”, says Ms Limkin.
Alcohol consumption has increased significantly during COVID, with one in three senior managers and 50% of middle managers and the wider workforce drinking more when stressed, including day drinking while working from home.
Australian Health Journal spoke with Ms Limkin, on the Sana Health treatment centres in Sunshine Coast, Brisbane and Byron Bay having different client types, with some people self-medicating undiagnosed mental health conditions, and it can be confusing for them to find help.
Sana Health Group offers a wide range of practitioners and treatment programs for mental health, addiction, and eating disorders in Australia. However Ms Limkin raises the issue that in primary health GPs need more funding and support for better patient care and understanding of available options.
“The environment where you receive care affects the care you receive, and it’s important to help patients navigate the healthcare system and understand their treatment options.”, says Ms Limkin.
According to Ms Limkin, healthcare professionals need more resources and time to collaborate with patients and provide holistic care for better results in the Australian health system.
Practitioners need time to work collaboratively with patients using evidence-based research and at Sana Healthcare centres, a more holistic approach to wellbeing is taken to deliver better results.
-
Nuclear medicine funding a win for men with prostate cancer
Australian men with higher risk prostate cancer now have access to a nuclear medicine scan to help detect and treat metastatic disease, after it was listed on the Medical Benefits Schedule (MBS) from 1st July 2022.
In 2021 over 18,000 Australian men were diagnosed with prostate cancer, resulting in over 3,000 lives being lost – and making prostate cancer Australia’s second most common cause of cancer death in men.
Australian Health Journal spoke with AANMS President Associate Professor Sze Ting Lee and Dr Geoff Schembri on the MBS listing and the efforts to get it listed.
-
Diary of a Paramedic in a primary health care clinic
Alecka Miles is a lecturer at Edith Cowan University and works as a paramedic in a multidisciplinary team at Dianella Family Medical Centre in Metropolitan Perth, Western Australia.
Community paramedic roles have a history in Australia, dating back to 2007 in New South Wales and followed by similar initiatives in South Australia and New Zealand. Alecka’s position emerged after she sought to evaluate how paramedics could integrate into general practice, ultimately leading to a job offer post-COVID lockdown in 2020. Her skills, particularly in cannulation, proved valuable as healthcare shifted towards primary care.
-
Dental marketing insights from leading authority
Winning the Australian Dental Industry Award for Marketing has had a big impact to Dental Marketing Solutions. As Angus comments in closing, “Receiving the award is social proof to say, well, these guys must know something, because an independent body of their peers has assessed them and said”. He added, “Certainly it’s been good in terms of building our business.”
