Australian College of Mental Health Nurses

No health without mental health:
the link between chronic disease and mental illness

Many physical health conditions increase the risk of mental illness, while poor mental health is known to increase the risk of diseases such as heart disease, stroke and cancer. Comorbidity of physical illness and mental health issues impacts on whether people seek help, diagnosis and treatment, and impacts on their physical and mental recovery. Good mental health is a protective factor in prevention and self-management of chronic disease.

To address the issue of unacceptably poorer health outcomes of people with chronic disease and the associated mental illnesses, nurses and midwives need to have the knowledge and skills to identify manage and refer their patients.

As such, the Australian College of Mental Health Nurses has released a series of online resources aimed at improving the knowledge and skills of nurses to identify and manage mental health conditions associated with chronic disease.

This free interactive eLearning program uses video vignettes and a range of activities to highlight the key issues related to mental health, for nurses working with people who live with chronic disease.

• Improve your knowledge and skills
• Earn CPD points in your own time, at your own pace
• Patient stories have been developed by an Expert Reference Group of nurses from Mental Health and chronic disease specialty areas of Cancer, Diabetes, Respiratory and Cardiovascular Nursing
• 5 x 20 minute topics demonstrating skills related to communication, identifying mental health issues, managing difficult situations and understanding grief and loss.
• Interesting video stories, photos, quizzes and links.

NON-ACMHN MEMBERS: CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

ACMHN MEMBERS PLEASE NOTE: To access these modules, you will need to email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Once you have done this, you will receive an email confirming your access and you will be able to login using the username and password you use for the members section of the website.