Hospital hosts mental health conference

A local hospital has hosted a successful mental health conference called Sex, Drugs and Other Stimulants.

The Brisbane Waters Private Hospital conference was attended by general practitioners, psychiatrists and registered psychologists from the Central Coast and Sydney.

The hospital also launched two new day programs at the conference, a dialectical behaviour therapy skills program and a post traumatic stress disorder program.

The hospital is the first on the Central Coast to offer the behaviour therapy program.

"Currently patients have to travel off the Coast to access these types of services, and we know the new day programs will cater to a large number of locals that currently don't have access to those resources on the Coast," said hospital chief Ms Kathy Beverley.

"One in five Australians are affected by mental illness, yet many don't seek help because of stigma," Ms Beverley said.

"The team at Brisbane Waters Private are dedicated to doing more for the community and helping to shed a more positive light on mental health," she said.

"It was a unique opportunity to have such a large group of dedicated mental health professionals together to hear selected key topics from renowned psychiatrists from across NSW, addressing current and emerging mental health issues."

Topics covered at the conference included The Ice Age, The Methamphetamine Epidemic.

Sexual health and depression was also discussed, along with understanding the difference between adjustment disorder and post traumatic stress disorder.

SOURCE:

Media release, 23 Oct 2017

Petrina Waddell, Brisbane Waters Private Hospital