Service utilisation by rural residents with mental health problems.
OBJECTIVE
To examine the level and type of service utilisation by rural residents for mental health problems, and to explore the influence of level of need, sociodemographic factors and town size on such service use.


METHODS
This was a cross-sectional, community-based study. Subjects were recruited from three locales in rural north-west Victoria: a large regional centre, towns of 5,000-20,000 population and towns of <5,000 population. Three hundred and ninety-one individuals (54% females) participated. A logistic regression analysis was used to investigate which factors (i.e. need, sociodemographic and town size) predicted lifetime help-seeking for emotional or mental problems from formal health providers in the study sample.


RESULTS
Factors that predicted having ever sought help from a formal health provider for emotional or mental health problems were: a lifetime and/or current psychiatric disorder, being female, being separated, divorced or widowed, and living in medium sized towns (population 5,000-20,000).


CONCLUSIONS
While traditionally known predictors of help-seeking, i.e need and gender, were associated with help seeking in this study, help seeking for mental health problems was also more common amongst individuals living in medium sized rural towns than those living in a large regional city. Possible explanations include availability, accessibility and organisation of services, and individual and/or community attitudes towards help seeking.
Judd
Fiona
F
Centre for Rural Mental Health, Monash University, School of Psychiatry, Psychology and Psychological Medicine, Bendigo Health Care Group, Bendigo, Vic., Australia. fjudd@bendigohealth.org.au
Jackson
Henry
H
Komiti
Angela
A
Murray
Greg
G
Fraser
Caitlin
C
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001315:Australia / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000628:therapy*; D008605:Mental Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012424:Rural Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*