Funding win for new app to address unmet need in mental health
An app to support personal recovery of people with lived experience of enduring mental illness has recently received $50,000 in seed funding from the Monash Institute of Medical Engineering (MIME). The app is the idea of Monash Rural Health academic and mental health clinician, Dr Anton Isaacs, who partnered with chief investigator Dr Tanijla Kanij, a Research Fellow at Monash University’s Faculty of Information Technology.
Senior lecturer at Monash Rural Health, Dr Anton Isaacs has a keen interest in the mental health of rural and medically underserved communities. His research work has focussed on the design, implementation and evaluation of mental health and wellbeing services. Previously, he designed and implemented a Community Mental Health Programme in Rural Karnataka, India, as well as co-designed a model for early detection of mental health problems among Aboriginal men called the Koori Men's Health Day.
From his experience, Dr Isaacs recognised that a mental health service is but one component of what is needed to provide support and recovery for people experiencing enduring mental health challenges. He developed a proposal for the app to sit alongside traditional mental health services, to particularly support the recovery process of those who experience chronic mental health challenges in rural and remote areas who may have limited access to regular face-to-face mental health support.
“Helping people with enduring mental health challenges is not only about reducing symptoms but also about helping them live a supported, meaningful and satisfying life.”
Dr. Isaacs says his project team includes two IT experts who will be responsible for developing the app, a person with lived experience of mental health challenges who will provide guidance on the app’s content as well as a psychiatrist to guide the clinician perspective.
Once a prototype is developed, feedback will be sought from persons with lived experience and service providers to identify improvements and the effectiveness of the tool.
“This app will represent a safe space for people experiencing mental health issues and might help clinicians and other service providers to provide more person-centred care.This app will provide an additional layer of support for those who are not able to readily access professional services.”
Head of School at Monash Rural Health, Professor Shane Bullock, praised Dr Isaacs on the success of this funding - a first for Monash Rural Health - and the continued commitment to mental health in rural and disadvantaged communities.
“This is an important project where we are looking to provide mental health support in a readily accessible way when and where people need it. I congratulate Dr Isaacs, Dr Kanij and the project team for their continuing commitment to support improved mental health services for rural and disadvantaged groups.”