Belinda McCormack has bravely laid bare her experiences as a mental health client.  Belinda takes us though a part of her journey from diagnosis to recovery including her initial misdiagnosis, the impact of her medication and how mental health services both provided and shattered her sense of hope.

Her life journey expressed on a new DVD documentary provides a powerful teaching tool for nursing students and those in other education programs. It also includes worthwhile insights for the mental health sector and the wider community, enhancing engagement on the issue.

                                                                Belinda praised for DVD initiative

Belinda McCormack

One of these insights is that people with mental illness will find a surer path to coping if they are accepted in the community and if their plight is better understood.

Another is that mental illness is more prevalent than most people realise and mental health clients come from all walks of life.

Belinda has achieved many things including becoming an experienced cook, studying trauma counselling, working in the prison system and as an airport/community security guard.

She is a current medically endorsed enrolled nurse and has worked for organisations such as Department of Families and the Red Cross.

"It's helpful for people to understand that acute phases of illness may only occurr for short periods with years of being well in between!" Belinda said.

Belinda proudly displays the new DVD, with project supporters at the launch L-R Dr Lynne Steele, Wendy Hoey, Matthew Johnson, Professor Happell, Professor Bowman and Colette Le Page (front)

"Most of us live and manage some form of illness or disease and mental illness is no different. It is only stigma that separates mental illness from any other illness and this is brought about by ignorance and lack of eduction on the topic."

CQUniversity's Professor Brenda Happell said it was important for students to access the client/consumer perspective of mental health services.

Professor Happell, who is Professor of Contemporary Nursing and Director of the Institute for Health and Social Science Research, says the resource  helps us to see the person behind the diagnosis, and to appreciate that people diagnosed with a mental illness are first and foremost people, with the same hopes, wishes and dreams as the rest of us. 

"We need to move beyond the rhetoric of saying we are consumer (client) focused and demonstrate this to students by involving consumers as advisors, writers and teachers in our nursing programs.

"We are providing leadership and challenging norms by taking this approach."

The new DVD was recently (Dec 7) launched by Professor Happell and Vice-Chancellor Professor Scott Bowman, in the presence of key community representatives and stakeholders.

The resource has been funded as a teaching resource and was developed with input from CQ Mental Health Services.

Inquiries about this DVD can be directed to b.happell@cqu.edu.au