Indigenous Australians Have Higher Access to Mental Health Services in Urban Regions

According to a preprint abstract, our journalists investigated the differences in access to mental health services between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians. The study, analyzing data from 2,494,381 individuals in Southeast Queensland, showed that Indigenous populations had higher rates of access to Medicare Benefits Schedule-subsidized mental health services. However, they utilized fewer total mental health sessions, waited longer for follow-up treatment, and received fewer psychotherapy sessions. The results suggest ongoing inequities in mental health care, particularly among subgroups such as men and those with lower education levels.

Key Takeaways:

• Indigenous populations in Southeast Queensland had higher rates of access to Medicare Benefits Schedule-subsidized mental health services than non-Indigenous populations.
• Indigenous individuals utilized fewer total mental health sessions on average, with 12.3 sessions per person compared to 13.1 sessions for non-Indigenous individuals.
• Indigenous populations waited an average of 14.5 days for mental health care plan follow-up treatment, compared to 10.8 days for non-Indigenous populations.
• Indigenous individuals had significantly fewer psychotherapy sessions, with 22.1% receiving psychotherapy treatment, compared to 25.4% of non-Indigenous individuals.
• Lower rates of access among Indigenous people were significantly associated with being male, aged 40 years or older, not speaking an Aboriginal language at home, having unstable housing, lower education attainment, and no history of mental illness.
• Higher utilisation was significantly associated with receiving psychotherapy treatment sessions, having a history of mental illness, being unemployed or not in the labour force, aged 40-54 years old, and having a post-secondary degree.
• Subgroups like men and those with lower education levels may need targeted interventions for equitable mental health care.

Statistics:

• 2,494,381 people were included in the study, representing 2.98% Indigenous people in Southeast Queensland.
• 12.3 mental health sessions were utilized by Indigenous individuals on average, compared to 13.1 sessions by non-Indigenous individuals.
• 14.5 days were waited by Indigenous populations for mental health care plan follow-up treatment, compared to 10.8 days for non-Indigenous populations.
• 22.1% of Indigenous individuals received psychotherapy treatment, compared to 25.4% of non-Indigenous individuals.
• Higher utilisation was associated with receiving psychotherapy treatment sessions (34.6%), having a history of mental illness (27.4%), being unemployed or not in the labour force (21.1%), aged 40-54 years old (17.2%), and having a post-secondary degree (15.6%).

Sources:

• osf.io/preprints/psyarxiv/2ydwx_v1/ (preprint abstract)