Perceived need for mental health care: findings from the 2007 Australian Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing.
OBJECTIVE
To provide an overview of perceived need for mental health care and response of services to those needs as assessed by the general Australian adult population.


METHODS
The Perceived Need for Care Questionnaire was administered to respondents of the Australian 2007 National Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing. This instrument allows for self assessment of needs for five kinds of intervention from mental health services as needed in the last year. Specific needs assessed included: medication, information, counselling including psychotherapy, social interventions and skills training: Needs for care may be rated as unmet, partially met and met.


RESULTS
Approximately 14% of the population perceived a need for mental health care and between 7% and 8% perceived a met need for either counselling or medication. Need for care was less likely to be perceived by people with substance use disorders than among those with anxiety or affective disorders. For just under half of the population with perceived need (45%), all perceived needs were rated as met, and for around one in five of those with perceived needs, none of their perceived needs were met. Proportionally, needs for medication are most likely to be rated as met at 84%, needs for counselling and information are met at a rate of between 50% and 60%, skills training approximately 40%, and social interventions needs are those least likely to be rated as fully met, at 25%.


CONCLUSIONS
Mental health care is delivered in large volume and often with high levels of acceptability to the Australian community, although major gaps still remain. It appears that the disparity between need and care may be proportionally larger in the areas described as skills training and social interventions than areas outside of conventional mental health service domains of provision and medication and psychotherapy or counselling.
Meadows
Graham N
GN
School of Psychology, Psychiatry and Psychological Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. graham.meadows@med.monash.edu.au
Burgess
Philip M
PM
D000328:Adult; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy; D001294:Attitude to Health; D001315:Australia / Q000453:epidemiology; D003376:Counseling; D004358:Drug Therapy; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006801:Humans; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy*; D008605:Mental Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D020380:Needs Assessment; D011613:Psychotherapy; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult