Macquarie University and Cancer Council NSW are doing some follow-up interviews after the recent survey distributed by the Cancer Council Online Community (CCoC).   The purpose of the interviews is to understand the reasons why you post or don’t post in the online community. We want to find out why engaging in the online community is important because we want to ensure the online community is relevant and useful to the community it serves.   The study is being conducted to meet the requirements for the degree of Master of Research under the supervision of Dr. Yvette Blount, Department of Accounting and Corporate Governance, Faculty of Business and Economics.   If you decide to participate, you will be asked to answer questions related to CCoC environmental features, personality characteristics and psychosocial factors. The interview is anticipated to take between 45-60 minutes. The interview will be audio recorded.   Participants must meet the following criteria: Be a member or user of the Cancer Council Online Community. Have been diagnosed with cancer, are a carer or a survivor. Be over 18 years old. Willing to volunteer approximately 45-60 minutes of your time to answer various questions. Any information or personal details gathered in the course of the study are confidential, except as required by law. No individual will be identified in any publication of the results. All data collected will be held on Macquarie University’s secured servers. Codes and identifiers will be used when reporting findings and results to protect the confidentiality of participants. The data will be only accessed by the supervisor and the student. A summary of the results of the data can be made available to you on request via email.   Participation in this study is entirely voluntary. You are not obliged to participate and if you decide to participate, you are free to withdraw at any time without having to give a reason and without consequence.    This study has now concluded, thank you to everyone who participated! ... View more

Today is World Mental Health Day.   1-in-5 Australians are affected by mental illness, yet many do not seek help or talk about it because of the stigma surrounding mental health.   For people affected by cancer, mental health and stress can also be a reality. It is important to seek help, to talk things out and to share your stories and experience, in doing so you both gain support and can support others.   The Cancer Council Online Community was created specifically to provide a safe space for anyone affected by cancer to share and discuss what is going on with you and your experiences. We want people to feel secure and supported, you can even rant if the occasion warrants such. Think of the Online Community as your support network, your sounding board, your spot in the universe to unload and nut out anything and everything to do with cancer.   The Online Community also has the benefit of being managed and moderated by myself and other trained health professionals, whom are able to offer assistance or provide suggestions when needed, further strengthening the level of support available to you.   Below are a number of different Cancer Council services and resources that will also assist with mental health and wellbeing...       Telephone Support Groups Our Telephone-based Support Groups or TSG's are kind of like your traditional face-to-face support groups, but run over the phone, which is great if you live away from a main centre or in a rural area. The TSG's are a space to openly and regularly talk with others in your situation so that experiences, information and coping strategies are shared. We currently run TSG's for people with: advanced cancers brain tumours with pancreatic cancer multiple myeloma metastatic breast cancer people who are caring for someone with cancer and people who have experienced a loss due to cancer You can find out more by calling 1300 755 632.   Cancer Connect Cancer Connect is a free and confidential telephone-based service that connects someone who has cancer with a specially trained volunteer who has had a similar cancer experience. A Connect volunteer can listen with understanding and share their experiences and ways of coping. You can find out more by calling 13 11 20.   Webinars A webinar is an online seminar you can watch on your computer or mobile device. We run regular webinars, covering a wide range of topics, including: Anxiety and Depression after cancer treatment Cancer and Men's Issues Anger after cancer Our next webinar is on the 18th of October, covering the topic of Body Image and how you can reclaim your confidence: Register now.   Podcasts Our podcasts, hosted by the amazing Julie McCrossin, are fantastic to listen to in the car, whilst having your treatment, or even whilst commuting. They cover a wide range of topics, including the following: Managing Fear Family Dynamic and Cancer Cancer affects the carer too Coping with a cancer diagnosis   Understanding Cancer books The Understanding Cancer information booklets are a series of more than 50 resources for people with cancer, their families and friends. Some of these, include: Changes in thinking and memory Caring for someone with cancer Emotions and cancer Understanding grief   Mental health and wellbeing organisations The following are links to some amazing organisations who provide counselling and other services for anyone affected by mental health: beyondblue Lifeline Australia SANE Australia ReachOut Australia - for young people and parents. Qlife - for anyone who identifies as LGBTQI. Kids Helpline - for young Australians aged from 5-25, as well as parents and carers. MensLine Australia - for Australian men. ... View more