The Australian journal of rural health
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Aust J Rural Health · Oct 2011
Rapid change, climate adversity and the next 'big dry': older farmers' mental health.
To describe the experiences of older farmers in the face of prolonged drought and rapid change. ⋯ Older farmers felt an overwhelming sense of loss: of profitability and professional success, community status, physical well-being and comfort, the ability to participate in the modern world and, above all, of relationships (partners, children and friends moving away). They interpreted government compliance requirements as evidence of community and government loss of trust in famers. They resisted using the few mental health services that might be available, fearing being labelled as 'crazy' and discouraged by the culturally inappropriate way in which services were offered. Older farmers would benefit from joint services related to health and well-being simultaneously with modern business management offered in trusted, comfortable settings.
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Aust J Rural Health · Oct 2011
Improving the mental health of rural New South Wales communities facing drought and other adversities.
NSW has just experienced its worst drought in a century. As years passed with insufficient rain, drought-related mental health problems became evident on farms. Our objective is to describe how, in response, the Rural Adversity Mental Health Program was introduced in 2007 to raise awareness of drought-related mental health needs and help address these needs in rural and remote NSW. The program has since expanded to include other forms of rural adversity, including recent floods. ⋯ Drought affected mental health in rural NSW. A community development model was accepted and considered effective in helping communities build capacity and resilience in the face of chronic drought-related hardship. Given the scale, complexity and significance of drought impacts and rural adjustment, and the threats posed by climate change, a long-term approach to funding such programs would be appropriate.
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Aust J Rural Health · Jun 2011
Sustainable primary health care services in rural and remote areas: innovation and evidence.
To highlight how evidence from studies of innovative rural and remote models of service provision can inform global health system reform in order to develop appropriate, accessible and sustainable primary health care (PHC) services to 'difficult-to-service' communities. ⋯ Despite the gaps in our knowledge, we do have a significant amount of information about what works, where and why. At a time of global PHC reform, applying this knowledge will contribute significantly to the development of appropriate, sustainable PHC services and improving access.
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Aust J Rural Health · Apr 2011
Comparative StudyEstimation of the reproductive number for the 2009 pandemic H1N1 influenza in rural and metropolitan New South Wales.
During the early stages of pandemics, when resource planning occurs, the epidemiological parameters of the agent are often poorly described. These estimates are typically derived from metropolitan centres. This paper examines the spread of the 2009 pandemic H1N1 virus in rural and regional New South Wales compared with metropolitan centres. ⋯ The apparent invariance in the rate of spread of influenza between rural and metropolitan areas should provide rural health care providers with confidence in metropolitan derived estimates when planning in future influenza pandemics.
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Aust J Rural Health · Feb 2011
As death approaches: a retrospective survey of the care of adults dying in Alice Springs Hospital.
Australians are more likely to die in a hospital than anywhere else, and most of these deaths are 'expected'. The aims of this survey were to identify if specific end-of-life issues were documented in clinical records of a regional hospital serving remote Australia. ⋯ This survey highlights the continuing need to diagnose dying, understand optimal use of intensive care and improve comfort care at the end of life.