Reducing the isolation of young adults living with a mental illness in rural Australia

Research on mental health issues in rural Australia has been insufficient to date to guide nurses' clinical practice. This study explored young adults' experience of living with a mental illness in rural Western Australia using the grounded theory approach. Nine young adults, aged 18-30 years, identified isolation as their main concern. Isolation was brought about by society excluding participants because they had a mental illness and because of their behaviour. This isolation was further increased by the general population's lack of knowledge and understanding of what it is like to live with a mental illness. Based on the findings of this study, measures of how nurses can help reduce these young adults' isolation in a rural area are suggested. (copyright) 2006 Australian and New Zealand College of Mental Health Nurses Inc.