Professor Ian Hickie AM and Advocate Honor Eastly are the top mental health prize 2021 winners. Among the top six finalists who came from diverse and strong backgrounds, Eastly and Hickie made their place. Dual winners for the same price got recognition for their hard work to improve mental health across Australia.
Honor Eastly is mental health advocate, writer, podcaster, and Professor Ian Hickie AM Co-Director, health and Policy, the University of Sydney’s Brain and Mind Centre. The awards was presented during an online ceremony on Tuesday. The awards are given by Assistant Minister to the Prime Minister of Mental health and Suicide Prevention, the Honorable David Coleman.
Both of them were recognize for their extraordinary work. Appraising their effort Lucy Brogden AM, co-Chair of the Australian Mental Health Prize Advisory Group said, ‘’ The 2021 winners of Australian Mental Health Prize are two outstanding Australians. Their contributions to the Mental Health sector reflect the breadth of work being done. Honor and Ian are strong advocates, using their voices and the voices of many to improve participation, to improve access, and to improve care.’’
Agreeing to Lucy, co-chair, Professor Allan Fels said that the opportunity the prize provides for both winners to openly discuss and debate the best options for mental health treatment in the country. And it’s critically important and challenging work. Also, highlighting the flaws in current models and pushing for change.’’
Professor Ian Hickie AM
Professor Ian Hickie is a researcher in depression, early mediation, and youth mental health. He is the CEO of beyondblue and assists to create headspace and the young and Well Cooperative Research Centre. Receiving the award he said, ‘’ It’s very humbling to receive this most prestigious award. I assume that it is far less about ‘me’ and much more about ‘us’- meaning it reflects a wider appreciation of the collective value of the various teams that I have been privilege either to lead or those where I have been an integral member.’’
Also, as a winner he said, he will continue to work for mental health. and be an advocate of a modern approach to mental health.
Honor Eastly
Honor Eastly is an Australian Artist, writer, podcaster, and mental health advocate for a long time. She inspires thousands of people with her podcast ‘’No feeling is final’’ which has been download over 500,000 times. Moreover, she co-founded the Big Feels Club, an online community with more than 6000 members. The community talks about distress and emotional crisis
Winning the prize she said, ‘’ I’ll be advocating for the things I know would’ve helped. I would still help me. Solutions that are led by people with their own experiences of mental health struggles. Such as peer respite, a peer-led alternative to emergency departments, peer-led crisis lines. There are examples of these in small pockets of Australia and around the world showing excellent results.’’
Meanwhile, with this award, she hopes that more leaders coming to work in mental health and work together for change.
