New research from NRMA Insurance highlights the mental health impacts of Australia’s changing climate, with 80% of Australians surveyed expressing anxiety about extreme weather.
This comes as Lifeline Australia reports a 25% increase in calls to its disaster recovery helpline. In response, NRMA Insurance and Lifeline Australia have developed online resilience resources to help Australians manage stress and uncertainty, offering practical strategies and access to mental health support.
Dr. Ally Nicolopoulos, Lifeline’s Wellbeing Lead, speaks with The Wire’s Vanessa Gatica about the collaborative efforts between NRMA Insurance and Lifeline Australia to create a comprehensive set of online resilience resources.
You can also listen in Spanish.
Vanessa Gatica: Doctor, could you please provide a brief summary of your recent lifeline research findings on mental health impacts during natural disasters?
Dr. Ally Nicolopoulos: Sure. I guess firstly, contextually, the lifeline, um, over the past three years, we’ve we’ve actually seen a 25% increase in demand for crisis mental health support, um, related to natural disasters and extreme weather. So just wanted to put that into context a bit more that over 400,000 people calling 13 help, which is Lifeline’s dedicated um, disaster recovery helpline, uh, which really indicates to us that extreme weather and climate change is having quite a significant impact on the mental health and wellbeing of Australians. So in terms of the research, so there was some recent, recent research that was conducted here at lifeline by our research office. And that tells us that nine out of ten, um, Australians are concerned about the increasing frequency and severity of extreme weather. Um, and that research also indicated that after cost of living, climate change and extreme weather events is a factor that’s causing most stress to those in that representative sample of that research.
Vanessa Gatica: What kind of feelings can people expect to experience during a disaster?
Dr. Ally Nicolopoulos: You know, there’s, um, different sets of feelings that are experienced at different times after disaster might occur. So obviously in the first few days directly afterwards, you’d, you’d expect, um, shock and, you know, uh, fear and unease and stress. And then in the few months afterwards, you’d start potentially experiencing the sadness and the overwhelm of the situation. Um, what to do, how to kind of rebuild? Can we start rebuilding what’s happening in the community? Um, and then I think you’ve got the ongoing kind of effect. Um, in that kind of, you know, few years afterwards where there’s a lot of probably exhaustion from having to pick up and start over and potentially some hopelessness. And then I’d, you know, say some anxiety, potentially, depending on where you are in Australia, about those, um, those experiences potentially happening again.
Vanessa Gatica: Can you tell us about the resource kit and how it can help?
Dr. Ally Nicolopoulos: Yeah, sure. we all know that, um, extreme weather takes a, you know, huge toll on our homes and our communities. Um, and we’re hearing more and more and it makes total sense that it’s also significantly impacting our mental health and our emotional well-being. So we know that there’s this need, um, to proactively safeguard the mental health of Australians in terms of, um, the resilience resources that we’ve built. Um, so we’re really proud to partner with NRMA insurance and, um, to be able to give us the opportunity to create specific natural disasters and extreme weather related information and tips, um, and resources and practical strategies and mental health support options, um, that live within our support toolkit. Um, and the resources really are there for everyone, you know, whether they’ve been directly impacted, indirectly impacted, um, have concerns about natural disasters and extreme weather or even want to support someone who might have experienced a natural disaster. And these resources, they’re there to, uh, kind of really validate the experience of those who are struggling with, um, uh, natural disasters or extreme weather related mental health challenges. I think it can be a really hard thing to make sense of, and we want to make sure that people know that, um, how and what they’re feeling is valid and it makes sense and that what they’ve gone through is a big deal.
Dr. Ally Nicolopoulos: So that, yeah, you’ll find the information. You’ll also find, um, both short term and long term tests, uh, that people can use to support their mental health and wellbeing during and after a natural disaster or extreme weather event, um, as well as a section on mental preparedness. So that’s for those who might be feeling, um, uh, like anticipatory anxiety about natural disasters, for example, they might live in a, um, disaster prone area. They might have experienced a disaster before, um, like I said, and be anxious about another one occurring in the future. Um, or they might just have anxiety around, you know, the increasing frequency of extreme weather in Australia, things like that. And in there we’ve also included different, uh, online tools and apps and information for support services. They can reach out to, um, if they need so. And there is also the section for family and friends who may be after some resources to help them kind of help somebody else.
Vanessa Gatica: How can individuals access to the toolkit?
Dr. Ally Nicolopoulos: So it’s online. It is Lifeline.org.au forward slash toolkit.
Vanessa Gatica: What steps can individuals and communities take to build emotional resilience against the backdrop of increasingly severe weather conditions?
Dr. Ally Nicolopoulos: So emotional resilience. So, so like I said, it’s quite natural for us to automatically think about those physical impacts of extreme weather. Um, but it really is, you know, like you said, equally important to prioritize our emotional well-being, too. So, um, by taking those steps to prepare both mentally and emotionally for unexpected events. I just want to call out we don’t just become more resilient, but we’re also better to to kind of, um, we’re also better equipped to kind of cope in those hard times. So some things I would call out as being really important are, um, building a support network, of course. So, you know, staying connected to family and friends, um, and your neighbors and just your community more broadly. Um, I think this could also include, like on a community level, creating groups within your community. So, um, establishing local networks for emotional support, um, and, and practical support, if that’s ever needed as well. Um, another one, I’d say is engaging in activities that you enjoy. So, uh, this will look different for everyone. Um, but it can include include things like exercise, um, or volunteering or any, any activity that makes you feel good. Um, I think staying informed. So knowledge is power, right? Keeping up to date, um, with weather forecasts and local emergency alerts if that happens in your area. Um, and also kind of working with others in the community to ensure, um, there’s like reliable channels for sharing information and updates, um, if the need arises. Um, I think an important one is, um, if, if possible, limiting, uh, exposure to, you know, distressing weather related content online, um, or in the media. I think this can, um, uh, really, like, heighten anxiety in quite an unhelpful way. And of course, making sure that you’re engaging in good self-care. visiting the support toolkit. Uh, again, lifeline.org.au forward slash toolkit and engaging with the content in there. Um, particularly with regard to building emotional resilience. There is a section in there on mental preparedness, um, which kind of provides a range of other practical tips.
Vanessa Gatica: I am Vanessa Gatica for The Wire, speaking with Dr Ally Nicolopoulos, Lifeline’s wellbeing lead.