Mental Health and Wellbeing

1 in 5 of us will experience symptoms of mental illness in any given year. In Australia that is around 5 million people, and roughly 60% of these people will not seek help (www.blackdoginstitute.org.au).

The overwhelming concern for Masters Swimming Australia is that our members are not immune to this statistic. The impact of the temporary closures of pools, training venues, active gatherings, financial stress and isolation from friends and family etc. is unknown on members mental health.

In 2020, the NBM and Branches discussed the benefits of supporting mental health with a focus on a Mental Health Month which began in 2021. The first two years we held our Mental Health month in May with Webinars, shared resources and fundraising as our focus.

In 2023 we are excited to once again support the Black Dog Institute to deliver a month of our MSA Mental Health Awareness – October 2023.

Stay tuned for the update on our activities for 2023.

Purchase a Limited Edition MSA MHA swimming Cap

After selling out our limited edition 2021 yellow MSA MHA swimming caps we are excited to be able to offer the 2023 limited edition Mental Health Awareness Swimming Caps. In support of the Black Dog Institute and mental health month, be sure to grab your bright blue cap while stock lasts. ($17.50 inc postage) Link to come.

 

2023 Podcasts

Check out the free podcasts offered by the Black Dog Institute exploring different insights into mental health through personal experiences and expert opinions

 

Resources

Mental Health Awareness is a chance to highlight the importance of connecting with one another and educate our community the benefits of swimming on mental health. MSA will regularly update this page with articles and research that will be of interest to our readers.

US Masters Swimming Articles:

BDI Resources:

 

If you or someone you know is in immediate danger, contact the following crisis services:

Emergency 000
Lifeline 13 11 14
Kids Helpline 1800 55 1800
MensLine 1300 78 99 78
Suicide Call Back Service 1300 659 467

 

Photo Gallery

Here we share photos, images, stories of our members and clubs supporting mental health awareness (some are directly from fundraising during May 2021) Stay tuned for some great new photos from 2023!


2022


2021