Women’s Mental Health Research
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The 2009 'de Castella Run' is proudly supporting Women’s Mental Health Research at the Monash Alfred Psychiatry Research Centre (MAPRC), located at the Alfred Hospital
Did you know?
- One in five Australians have suffered from a mental disorder in the past 12 months, but only a third seek professional help
- Major depression is three times more common in women than men across the life cycle.
- Twice as many women than men experience anxiety disorders.
- Eating disorders occur primarily in young women
- Women experience mental illnesses differently to men with distinct differences in symptoms, age of onset and effectiveness of treatment
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The Women’s Mental Health research stream at MAPRC strives to empower thousands of women with serious mental illness through the development of gender-specific treatments and by improving medical education and public information about women’s mental health.
We need your support!
MAPRC was established in early 2002 with the appointment of Jayashri Kulkarni as Professor of Psychiatry at The Alfred and Monash University. Professor Kulkarni has particular expertise in women’s mental health. The Women’s Mental Health stream at MAPRC conducts a number of studies dedicated to understanding the link between hormones and women’s mental health.
Some current areas of of active research include:
- The role of estrogen in improving symptoms in women with schizophrenia investigating the possible relationship between the contraceptive pill and depression
- Creating the world’s first database about the use of antipsychotic medications in pregnancy to help women and their doctors make better informed choices
- Evaluating new treatments for conditions such as perimenopausal depression
- Creating safer environments for women in hospital psychiatric wards.
This innovative research is helping to find effective treatments for mental disorders and improving the quality of life of women living with mental illness. Mental illness affects women of all ages and backgrounds and YOUR support is vital to our research.
How you can make a difference
Donate when you enter! When you enter the De Castella Fun Run, you can donate directly as part of your entry fee. You can go with the $5 standard donation, or specify another amount by following the designated link. Every dollar helps!
Get your friends and family on board! You can help us even more by telling your colleagues, mates and family about the 2009 De Castella Fun Run.
Why not challenge them to run too by directing them to this site?
If they’re not up for that, they can sponsor you by making a donation to the ‘Women’s Mental Health’ campaign via the Alfred Hospital.
This link https://secure.donman.net.au/client/alfred/alfred.asp lets them donate securely online. All they have to do is select the ‘Women’s Mental Health’ campaign option in the online form to direct their donation to this worthy cause.
Here’s some suggested email wording you can use to let everyone know about your 2009 De Castella Run challenge:
"Hi there,
This year I am running in the 2009 de Castella Fun Run, which is Melbourne’s longest-running fun run and named after the city’s own champion marathoner, Rob de Castella. The run raises money for world-class research into women’s mental health at the Monash Alfred Psychiatry Research Centre. You can read more about this work at:
http://www.med.monash.edu.au/spppm/research/aprc/project1.html#gender_res
If you’d like to join me in this challenge, come and run with me on Sunday 27 September! You can enter here: www.decastellarun.com.au
If you’re not feeling quite so energetic, how about sponsoring me to run on your behalf? You can make a secure donation on the Alfred Hospital Website here https://secure.donman.net.au/client/alfred/alfred.asp
Just ensure you select ‘Women’s Mental Health’ in the ‘Campaign’ box towards the end of the online form.
Thanks for your support! I’ll keep you updated on how much I raise.
See you at the finish line!"
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Proudly organised by the Old Xaverians Athletics Club -
For free coaching and training group details go to: www.oxac.org.au
2009 Race Report
Personal reflections from a runner on debut
29th DeCastella Run
By Dean Watson
The 29th ”de Castella Run” was the first running event I participated in that had no association to school. In other words, I actually wanted to be there. The annual event is hosted by the old Xaverians Athletics Club to honour former Xavier student Australian marathon legend Rob de Castella. Once the world record holder for the marathon, he is to Australian long distance running what The Wiggles are to kids’ music - he made his area of expertise ‘cool’ and ‘fashionable’ in a way that no one had before him.
It was race day and we were due to start at 9.00AM. Before any pre-run rituals could commence, a race number was pinned to the front of our shirts and a timing device secured around our ankles. Despite the significant attention required to attach the race number onto our own t-shirts using petit safety pins, it soon became apparent that the man himself was there in person among the people. Although ‘Deeks’ didn’t start plugging Centrum, as one would naturally expect him to do, he did have that stylish grin on his face. He easily went about the room, chatting to runners of all shapes and sizes and ages, which appeared to relax quite a few first timers, such as myself. One thing I did notice as we assembled in Xavier College’s Burke Hall before the run, was the look of withheld terror evident on so many people’s faces. The room seemed to hold a bubbling nervous energy as everyone preserved their energy’s moment of release for the starter’s gun.
If a chat with Deeks wasn’t enough to calm the nerves, there was always the option of participating in a pre-run warm up conducted by a young peronal trainer, 20 minutes prior to the start. Needless to say, by the time all of us piled out of the gym and waited for de Castella to fire the starting gun, the nervous excitement had summitted again.
The weather might also have been responsible for some of the pre-run trepidation among us runners. It was freezing outside and the wind was whipping about the Kew mansions that surrounded the school. Rain also threatened to ruin the fun of 15km, but luckily it held off. The true test confronting runners on the course were the long, sustained sections of ascent and decent. The area of Studley Park is very hilly - take my word for it. The 15km consisted of three laps around the same course, which allowed you to see the leaders every now and again, as they made their way comfortably back from the direction you were still running in. You could only admire how fast these athletes were. Running is so very much a personal odyssey that there really isn’t any point in envying those faster than you. 99% of the people in the event were there to have a good run without worrying about winning. Personally, it was a pleasant change from the win, win, win mentality I try to take with me to the golf course every time I play.
My time for the 15km was 1hr 10min 55sec. I came 41st overall, which is a fairly nice number - the number 1’s in there after all! Did someone say this wasn’t about winning? Who said that?
Following the completion of the 5km, 10km and 15km races, presentations were held. What a change in atmosphere a running race can produce; now the room was full of the most fulfilled looking people I have seen. Running has strange effects on us humans. Each competitor went home from the event with two show bags of goodies, ready to seize the remainder of the blustery day indoors. In that sense, everyone was a winner.
From a personal point of view, my competitive running debut outside of school law and order was a very satisfying experience. All that remains in my running career is to complete the Melbourne Marathon. The Grand Daddy of running, the Lindt chocolate, the Beatles remastered albums, the new Titleist irons, the Le Napoleon cheese, the passionate late night kiss after midnight. If only 42.195km could be that pleasurable.
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