The Thrive smartphone app was rolled out to the Monash community – providing mental health support in response to the challenges and needs reported by students throughout Victoria’s pandemic lockdowns.

Developed by Thrive researchers at the Turner Institute, and co-designed by students, the app encourages users to check in daily, be more aware of their feelings, and identify if they’re struggling.

Turner Institute director and Thrive co-lead Professor Kim Cornish said the app is unique in Australia because it is a not-for-profit resource that records no student data.

"There are hundreds of mental health apps available via app stores, and unfortunately, many share private health information with third parties without disclosing it," Professor Cornish said.

"Thrive has been developed by a mental health research-trained lab for the community good, with privacy, co-design and evidence-based research baked into the development from day one - and it’s free for all users."

Users can log and monitor trends in their mood and access well-being resources covering topics like dealing with stress, mindfulness and breathing exercises, journaling, and procrastination-fighting tools.

Thrive co-lead and lead researcher Melinda McCabe said the app’s intensive design phase included two clinical trial-type studies, one with over 60 students and another with over 150 students. 

"The main goal of the app is to help students become more aware of their mental health and to seek help early if they need it," Ms McCabe said. 

"We hope all students find something within the app that they benefit from, whether it's the journaling tools called the ‘Wheel of Feels’ or the evidence-based Pomodoro timer to fight procrastination when their workload starts to build."

"We wanted something for everyone."

The Thrive app is available to all Monash students and staff with an active Monash email address and is available for free through all major app stores.

It’s a timely study, given the COP26 climate change summit in Glasgow, and predictions of another intense bushfire season in Australia. 

ECU researchers point out that, of the nearly 65,000 firefighters who responded to the Black Summer bushfires, 78 per cent were volunteers. And, such was the severity and trauma of the experience, every participant involved in the study said the experience had affected their wellbeing.

“Nearly half reported post-traumatic stress symptoms in the 12 months following the fires, with 11.1 per cent diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), while 5.5 per cent admitted to making suicide plans,” the study found.

The key issues affecting firefighters during the Black Summer bushfires “centred around a fear for their safety, minimal time between deployments to fight fires, and the cumulative effect of being exposed to multiple traumas over a long period of time”.

One of the study’s findings is that less than half (48 per cent) of the participants sought mental health support in the 12 months after the fires.

Research lead on the study, Associate Professor Erin Smith, said the study’s findings were not only concerning but also highlighted a “lack of progress in supporting emergency responders”.

“Experience from the 2009 Black Saturday bushfires in Victoria told us the mental health impact on those who respond to major bushfire events will likely be complex and protracted,” she said.

“Firefighters and other support personnel were at increased risk of developing PTSD, depression, anxiety and complicated grief compared to the general public.

“When these issues were inadequately treated, they carried an increased risk of suicide.

“So why, some ten years later during another major bushfire event, are we dealing with the same problems?”

Barriers to help

One of the major issues identified in the study was that most of the participants said their respective organisations hadn’t provided adequate support, with only a link to an Employee Assistance Program provided. 

Smith said a “big obstacle” holding back volunteers from accessing counselling programs was that they felt they couldn’t share their experiences with firefighters who had been in similar situations.

“Participants frequently highlighted that the most effective method for supporting wellbeing was sharing what they had gone through with someone who ‘got it’,” she said.

Some volunteers even reported that they felt seeking help would hinder —  or even end — their careers. The fact that only 15 per cent of participants sought help through their own organisations illustrates this, the study argues.

“Contributing to this is the ongoing toxic masculine culture associated with emergency service organisations,” Smith said.

“This culture continues to promote the belief that speaking out about mental health is weak, and that there is a need for firefighters to be impervious to the impact of trauma exposure.”

Improving care for a more catastrophic future

Smith said the report identified a number of “key themes” to improve the care and support of volunteer firefighters in the future, including organisations being proactive rather than reactive, as well as volunteers feeling comfortable reaching out for support. 

“Organisational leaders need to be provided with opportunities to learn more about mental health and how they can best have those types of conversations,” she said.

And while Smith acknowledged that Employee Assistance Programs are of value, they can’t be employed as a “tokenistic” measure; she argues that more face-to-face conversations with others should also be embraced. 

“Potential options identified by participants included chaplains, psychologists, counsellors and animal-assisted therapy,” she said.

“A critical part of preparing for future fire seasons is ensuring the wellbeing of volunteer personnel who are called upon to respond to fires and protect our communities.”

'Supporting volunteer firefighter wellbeing: Lessons from the Australian “Black Summer” bushfires’ will be published in Prehospital and Disaster Medicine.