A Greek Australian family is speaking out about mental health, stigma and gaps in Victoria’s healthcare system following the death of their beloved family member, Dr Anastasia Kalantzis, after a long battle with mental health struggles.
Ana, 44, passed away on April 19 after spending the final eight months of her life moving in and out of public and private mental health facilities across Melbourne – facilities her family believe were ill-equipped to support her recovery.
A respected lecturer at the Royal Dental Hospital of Melbourne and in dentistry at the University of Melbourne, Ana was widely admired for her compassion, warmth and dedication to dentistry, education and mental health advocacy.
Now, her sister, Despina Havelas, and niece, Aristea Havelas, are determined to honour her legacy by advocating for reform to Victoria’s Mental Health Act and encouraging more open conversations around mental illness within the Greek Australian community.
The family described Ana as a “proud Hellenic woman… [with] a bubbly spirit,” and said they would continue her advocacy work in her memory. They said Ana would want to be remembered as saying, “smile and brush your teeth.”
Central to the family’s campaign is the call for stronger rights for families and caregivers to be involved in treatment and discharge planning.
Despina believes the current Mental Health Act fails families by not legally requiring the involvement of relatives and caregivers – often the people most familiar with a patient’s baseline condition, warning signs and ongoing care needs.
“We want greater powers for caregivers… we want safety plans and discharge papers to be communicated to the family,” they said.
The family has already begun lobbying political leaders in Victoria. Despina has met with Emma Kealy, Shadow Minister for Mental Health, and is in the process of organising a meeting with Jess Wilson, Leader of the Victorian Opposition.
They have also contacted Ingrid Stitt, Victoria’s Minister for Mental Health, and Premier Jacinta Allan, though they say they have not yet received a response.
The family hopes political leaders will “come on board to change the system.”
Alongside their advocacy efforts, Ana’s loved ones are also establishing the ‘Anastasia Kalantzis Memorial Dentistry Scholarship’ for La Trobe University students facing financial or personal hardship while pursuing dentistry.
The family hopes any reforms introduced in Victoria could eventually lead to broader national change and help ensure people from all communities can access mental health support without barriers.
“Whatever we can do to contribute to that cause, we’re stepping up and we’re holding the baton for Ana,” Aristea said.
Clinical Psychologist Lena Papadopoulos told The Greek Herald that while attitudes toward mental health within the Greek Australian community have evolved significantly over recent generations, stigma can still remain within some families.
“It is disheartening to see that Australia continues to be on the higher end of global rates for suicide and that suicide is the leading cause of death for Australians aged 15-49,” she said.
“Regarding the issue of suicide and mental health stigma in Greek Australian families, it is evident there has been significant generational change within the community, with many more Greek Australians across all ages seeking support for their mental health and being open about suicide as the cause of death of a beloved family member.
“This is more so the case for younger Greek Australians due to increased psychological literacy, which inevitably has played a role in helping reduce older stigma in first generation Greek Australians.
“Of course, certain barriers and stigma remain for some, including concern about the family image, bringing shame and implying weakness if one was to seek support for their mental health or disclose the suicide of a family member.
“However, this is dependent on specific factors within the family itself (for example, how emotionally open they are, the level of concern they have about community judgement, their views around seeking help from someone outside of the family or local priest and their religious views regarding suicide).”
For Ana’s family, those lingering barriers are exactly why they are determined to keep speaking publicly about mental health, hoping their advocacy can help save lives and encourage other families to seek support without shame.
If you, or anyone you know, is experiencing mental health challenges and dealing with suicidal thoughts, contact:
- For crisis support, call Lifeline 13 11 14 or the Suicide Call Back Service 1300 659 467.
- For mental health support and advice call Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636.
- 13YARN is a crisis support line for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people; call 13 92 76.
- Kids Helpline is a confidential counselling service for young people aged 5 to 25 years; call 1800 551 800.
- In an emergency, call 000.
