Following the suicide of a well-known doctor in 2016, Dr Tahnee Bridson learned that many of her friends and colleagues were also suffering in silence – too scared to speak up out of shame, fear and stigma. It was then she decided her future would be dedicated to mental health.
With the encouragement of some high-profile health leaders, Tahnee founded Hand-n-Hand Peer Support in March 2020, to assist healthcare workers who were experiencing wellbeing or mental health difficulties.
What began as a small WhatsApp group chat quickly became a collective of more than 2,000 healthcare workers on social media. The Black Dog Institute recently included Hand-n-Hand as an official partner.
Tahnee’s work for Hand-n-Hand is done on a volunteer basis, in addition to her full-time job as a doctor. She’s also training to become a psychiatrist.
By introducing peer support to healthcare settings, Hand-n-Hand has the potential to change the culture of workplaces all around the country. For Tahnee, the possibilities are endless.