According to the 2021 census, more than 2.2 million Australians have been diagnosed with a mental health condition.
Of EMERALD program participants, 86% have experienced reductions in severity of depression, 84% have experienced reductions in severity of anxiety, 80% improvement in wellbeing, 83% reductions in impairment of functioning, 49% reduction in loneliness.
Anxiety, depression and stress significantly impact a person's quality of life and are most often related to work, financial problems, relationship issues, and social isolation.
Early intervention programs are essential in addressing these challenges by helping individuals identify and manage mental health issues before they become more severe.
Prevention and early intervention programs promoting healthy lifestyle habits also play a critical role in supporting healthy brain aging and reducing the risk of cognitive decline, an increasingly important focus in mental health research.
When the COVID-19 pandemic first affected Australians in 2020, there were national concerns about a potential increase in mental ill health.
It was anticipated that the number of people experiencing mental ill health for the first time and those reentering mental ill health would significantly rise due to pandemic-related factors, such as social isolation, job loss, financial stress, uncertainty, and feelings of worry and fear.
Recognising this urgent need for preventative mental healthcare, UniSC's Thompson Institute adapted existing material from its Healthy Brain Ageing (HBA) study, which focused on lifestyle interventions such as exercise, diet, sleep, and mindfulness.
The adapted program, EMERALD, aimed to support the community during the global crisis.
EMERALD is a personalised eight week preventative telehealth mental health program that uses coaching and online learning modules to support adoption of lifestyle strategies proven to boost mental health.
EMERALD participants receive:
- Weekly telehealth appointments with a health coach;
- Telehealth appointments with expert practitioners such as dietitians, exercise physiologists, and mental health clinicians;
- Access to the online learning modules on strategies proven to support mental health including nutrition, sleep quality, exercise, mindfulness, social connection and anxiety management.
As our society emerged from the worst of the pandemic’s lock-down periods, the need for EMERALD’s preventative healthcare remained.
The 2021 census revealed that mental health conditions were our nation’s most diagnosed chronic illness.
Chief investigator: Dr Sophie Andrews.
This research is out of UniSC’s Thompson Institute.
School of Health.
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