title: Lack of association between drought and mental health in a cohort of 45-61 year old rural Australian women.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the impact of drought on the mental health of rural Australian women and those in vulnerable sub-populations: women who were more isolated, poorer and less educated; and women who had histories of chronic disease or poor mental health.
  
  
  METHODS
  Surveys were mailed in 1996, 1998, 2001, 2004 and 2008 to 6,664 women born between 1946 and1951 who were participating in the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health. The surveys included the Mental Health Index of the Medical Outcomes Study Short-Form 36 (MHI). Drought was assessed by linking the latitude and longitude of women's place of residence at each survey to the Hutchinson Drought Index. Associations between MHI and drought were assessed using linear mixed-models.
  
  
  RESULTS
  While 31% of the women experienced drought in 1998 and 50% experienced drought in 2007; experience of droughts was less common in the other years. Although drought varied from survey year to survey year, mental health did not vary with drought conditions for rural women or vulnerable sub-populations.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings are contrary to the long-held assumption that droughts increase mental health problems in Australia.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  While similar results may not be true for men, empirical evidence (rather than assumptions) is required on associations between drought and mental health.
authors.affiliation: Research Centre for Gender, Health and Ageing, University of Newcastle, New South Wales.
authors.forename: Jennifer R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Powers
authors.affiliation: School of Population Health, University of Queensland.
authors.forename: Annette J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Dobson
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Health, University of Canberra, Australian Capital Territory.
authors.forename: Helen L
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Berry
authors.affiliation: Research Centre for Gender, Health and Ageing, University of Newcastle, New South Wales.
authors.forename: Anna M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Graves
authors.affiliation: National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health, Australian National University, Australian Capital Territory.
authors.forename: Ivan C
authors.initials: IC
authors.lastname: Hanigan
authors.affiliation: Research Centre for Gender, Health and Ageing, University of Newcastle, New South Wales.
authors.forename: Deborah
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Loxton
mesh_terms: D001315:Australia; D055864:Droughts; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008603:Mental Health; D008875:Middle Aged; D012424:Rural Population; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013315:Stress, Psychological; D035862:Vulnerable Populations; D016387:Women's Health
keywords: drought; mental health; vulnerable; women