Health Minister launches free posttraumatic stress DVDs at Victorian bushfire forum
April 27, 2009Two free DVDs about posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) co-developed by the Rural Health Education Foundation were launched by the Minister for Health and Ageing at a bushfire-focused community forum in Victoria last week.
The Hon Nicola Roxon MP officially launched the free DVDs, developed by the Foundation in conjunction with Australian Centre for Posttraumatic Mental Health (ACPMH), at the Post-Bushfires Forum in Melbourne on Monday 20th April. The Forum was organised by the Australian General Practice Network and General Practice Victoria.
The first of the free resources, Australian Guidelines for the Treatment of Adults with Acute Stress Disorder and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, is a 43-minute program which aims to improve health practitioners’ knowledge of, and capacity to manage, mental health conditions following trauma.
The second free educational DVD, Recovery from Trauma: What Works, is a 30-minute program aimed at those who have experienced trauma, as well as their families and carers.
More free copies in response to bushfires
Although the two programs were not specifically developed with bushfire survivors in mind, in the context of the recent Victorian fires the Minister said the Government had decided to support free distribution of the DVDs in greater numbers, with 5,000 free copies available for practitioners and 7,000 free copies available for use in the community.
“We know that most people recover from a traumatic event without needing specialised treatment, however, there is a percentage who will need support for ongoing issues,” the Minister said at the Post-Bushfires Forum. “Recovery from this terrible tragedy will be much slower, and less complete, unless we deal effectively with the psychological impact.” (Click here for a copy of the Minister’s press release.)
Important role for DVDs in trauma management
Associate Professor David Forbes, from the Australian Centre for Posttraumatic Mental Health (ACPMH) which co-developed the programs with the Foundation, spoke at the Forum about the role the free DVDs can play in trauma management for both health professionals and community members.
For health practitioners, he said the DVDs explained how to manage reactions to recent trauma; how to screen for ASD and PTSD; how to provide treatment via psychological therapy and pharmacotherapy; how to prioritise treatment in the case of comorbidity; and how to screen for trauma exposure (where suspected but not reported).
For the community, Associate Professor Forbes said the DVDs covered traumatic events and reactions to them; getting help and understanding recommended psychological therapy and pharmacotherapy; what questions to ask of your practitioners to ensure you are receiving best practice care; what might get in the way of your recovery; and how to help someone with PTSD.
Benefits for bushfire survivors and beyond
After the launch, Rural Health Education Foundation CEO Don Perlgut said the Foundation was proud to be involved in a project which could provide significant, immediate benefits for Victorian bushfire survivors.
“Rural and remote communities are the Foundation’s key stakeholders, so we’re pleased that the trauma DVDs we co-developed are now freely available to those rural communities so profoundly traumatised by the recent fires,” Mr Perlgut said.
“With the Minister’s personal involvement in the free DVD launch, we’re hopeful that people in the wider Australian community who are dealing with, or affected by, PTSD will become aware of these educational resources and take up the free offer.”
How to order the free DVDs
You can order a free DVD copy of these PTSD programs through our “free DVDs” order page. This ordering option requires you to log in to the website as a registered user (registration is free).