The Sunshine Coast Private Hospital will mark Mental Health Week from 4-10 October by holding its third annual art exhibition showcasing the work of those who been touched by mental illness.
The ‘Path to Wellness’ exhibition will be held at the hospital’s Cooinda Mental Health Service on 8 October and will feature almost 100 works of art in the categories of indigenous, recycled, photography, craft and sculpture.
The Sunshine Coast Private Hospital General Manager, Wallis Westbrook, said the event aimed to bring people together to raise the profile of mental health in the community.
“Mental health is too often misunderstood and hidden away behind closed doors and as a result people are made to feel embarrassed or ashamed,” Mr Westbrook said.
“But there’s no need for people to feel embarrassed because one in five Australians suffer from mental illness each year and practically everyone knows someone who is impacted by conditions such as depression or anxiety.”
The hospital is also promoting the Australian Private Hospital Association’s ‘Elephant in the Room’ Mental Health Week campaign by displaying a seven foot inflatable elephant throughout the week.
“Mental health is often ‘the elephant in the room’ that no one wants to talk about but we are committed to engaging the people of the Sunshine Coast in matters of mental health,” Mr Westbrook said.
“Just like eating a balanced diet and actively looking after our physical health, we all need to be aware of our own mental health and look after it in a similar way using strategies such as exercise, relaxation or meditation,” he said.
“Let’s all use this week to start a conversation about mental health with our friends, colleagues and family because good mental health is for everybody.”
The Cooinda Mental Health Service is an $11 million 33-bed facility which The Sunshine Coast Private Hospital at Buderim opened in 2013 to meet the growing need for mental health services on the Sunshine Coast.
As part of UnitingCare Health, The Sunshine Coast Private Hospital is a not-for-profit private healthcare provider owned by the Uniting Church.
The ‘Path to Wellness’ exhibition will be held on Thursday 8 October and from 5.30pm - 8.30pm and will include entertainment by local musicians.