Psychologists get on their bikes for a good cause

'Psychs on Bikes' is a group of psychologists, psychiatrists and psychiatric nurses who ride motor bikes and spread positive mental health messages, particularly throughout rural and remote Australia.

In May 2012 we rode from Perth to Sydney, raising money for rural and remote mental health and spreading the word that it’s OK to seek help. In 2013 we rode from Sydney to Maryborough (Qld) and back again, this time with the message ‘Live Another Day’, focusing on the prevention of suicide particularly amongst men in rural Australia. We held public meetings in towns such as Narromine, Trangie, Orange, Inverell, Moree and Maryborough, emphasising the three L’s: Look for the warning signs; Live another day; and Let someone know. The aim of these public meetings was to help individuals and their friends to recognise the warning signs of depression and suicidal thinking, and to point them in the direction of available help. Psychs on Bikes were well received wherever we stopped. People attending meetings often commented that they wouldn’t have come if we had turned up in suits and cars, but thought we could be interesting.

On 3 May 2014 we are again setting off coast-to-coast from Cottesloe Beach in Perth, heading across the Nullarbor to arrive in Bondi, Sydney a week later. We will be stopping in towns such as Kalgoorlie, Ceduna, Port Augusta, Renmark, Hay, Orange and Trangie, again with positive mental health messages. Those of us on the East Coast generally truck our bikes to Perth then ride back to Sydney (it’s about 4,500km which we do in nine days). Those from the West usually do the opposite, whilst colleagues from Victoria or South Australia meet us along the way. It’s a great opportunity to enjoy the company of others in our profession and at the same time enjoy the enormity of Australia, which you begin to understand first hand from the seat of your motor bike in the middle of the Nullarbor. We have teamed up with local service clubs, particularly Rotary, who will be organising public meetings. During down time we also take the opportunity to listen to presentations on various mental health topics from some of our members: a rolling CPD opportunity.

However, at the moment we psychologists are in the minority. Can you imagine the indignity of sitting around a campfire or in a pub, in the middle of Australia, being outnumbered by psychiatric nurses and psychiatrists?! We’d love you to join us on this worthwhile venture and at the same time save us the ignominy of being outnumbered. All you need is a big bike, a week off work and the capacity for fun and adventure, whilst at the same time having the opportunity to put a bit back. For more information, visit our website:www.psychsonbikes.com.