GoodYarn: building mental health literacy in New Zealand ’s rural workforce

Journal of Public Mental Health,Volume 16, Issue 4, Page 180-190, December 2017. Purpose “GoodYarn” is a skills-based workshop that focusses on building mental health literacy in rural communities, members of which are known to experience geographic, attitudinal and service configuration barriers to accessing mental health services. The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the impac t of the GoodYarn project on raising mental health literacy in the rural community. Design/methodology/approach GoodYarn is primarily for farmers, their families and farm workers, as well as the “farmer facing” workforce. The focus on mental health literacy aligns with the mental health promot ion approach of using methods that foster supportive environments. By raising the mental health literacy of those not directly needing help, but in positions to help those that do – such as employers, rural professionals and rural support industries who are well placed to perceive stressors in far mers – GoodYarn builds a community with the knowledge and skills to identify and approach those experiencing mental distress or illness, and direct them to appropriate support and services. All participants in the GoodYarn workshops (n=430) were invited to complete a questionnaire at the end of th e workshop. All participants answered the questionnaire, with over 80 per cent answering all questions. Findings Participant feedback affirmed the utility of GoodYarn as an effective vehicle to facilitate t...
Source: Journal of Public Mental Health - Category: International Medicine & Public Health Source Type: research