title: Estimating service demand for respite care among informal carers of people with psychological disabilities in Australia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To estimate service demand (willingness to seek or use services) for respite care among informal, primary carers of people with a psychological disability and to describe their characteristics.
  
  
  METHODS
  Analysis of data from the household component of the 2009 Survey of Disability Ageing and Carers (n=64,213 persons).
  
  
  RESULTS
  In Australia in 2009, 1.0% of people aged 15 years or over (177,900 persons) provided informal, primary care to a co-resident with a psychological disability. One-quarter (27.2%) of these carers reported service demand for respite care, of whom one-third had used respite services in the past three months and four-fifths had an unmet need for any or more respite care. A significantly greater percentages of carers with service demand for respite care spent 40 or more hours per week on caregiving, provided care to a person with profound activity restrictions and reported unmet support needs, compared to carers without service demand. Lack of suitable, available respite care models was a barrier to utilisation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Findings confirm significant service demand for, and under-utilisation of, respite care among mental health carers.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Increased coverage of respite services, more flexible service delivery models matched to carers' needs and better integration with other support services are indicated.
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health, The University of Queensland.|Policy and Epidemiology Group, Queensland Centre for Mental Health Research, Queensland Health.
authors.forename: Meredith
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Harris
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health, The University of Queensland.|Policy and Epidemiology Group, Queensland Centre for Mental Health Research, Queensland Health.
authors.forename: Sandra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Diminic
authors.affiliation: Policy and Epidemiology Group, Queensland Centre for Mental Health Research, Queensland Health.
authors.forename: Caroline
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Marshall
authors.affiliation: National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre (NDARC), University of New South Wales.
authors.forename: Emily
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Stockings
authors.affiliation: National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre (NDARC), University of New South Wales.|School of Population and Global Health, University of Melbourne, Victoria.|Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Victoria.|Department of Global Health, School of Public Health, University of Washington, US.
authors.forename: Louisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Degenhardt
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001315:Australia; D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D006233:Persons with Disabilities; D005190:Family; D005260:Female; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020380:Needs Assessment; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care; D012144:Respite Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012944:Social Support; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: disability; health services; mental disorders; respite care