title: Increasing interest in rural mental health work: the impact of a short term program to orientate allied health and nursing students to employment and career opportunities in a rural setting.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Ongoing workforce shortages affect the provision of mental health services to rural and remote communities. This article examines the immediate impact of a novel recruitment strategy that aims to increase the number of mental health professionals commencing their careers in a rural area of Australia.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study utilised a sequential confirmatory mixed methods design which included both online pre- and post-program surveys and semi-structured individual interviews. Statistical analyses compared participants' pre- and post-program survey interest in rural work/career, mental health work/career and rural mental health work/career. Content analysis was undertaken to explore interview transcripts for data that confirmed, contradicted or added depth to the quantitative findings.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Comparison of pre- and post-program surveys indicated a significant increase in participants' interest in rural work/career and rural mental health work/career. The qualitative findings provided depth to and supported the change in interest toward working in a rural environment. Despite qualitative evidence that the program has increased participants' knowledge and understanding of the mental health sector as a whole, overt support for the changes in interest toward mental health work was not evident.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The study provides evidence that a short-term program can change allied health and nursing students' interest in rural mental health work. The findings have important implications for the recruitment of mental health practitioners to underserved rural areas.
authors.affiliation: Monash University, School of Rural Health, Newborough, Victoria, Australia. keith.sutton@monash.edu.
authors.forename: Keith P
authors.initials: KP
authors.lastname: Sutton
authors.affiliation: La Trobe University, Australian Research Centre in Sex, Health and Society, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. k.patrick@latrobe.edu.au.
authors.forename: Kent
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Patrick
authors.affiliation: Monash University, School of Rural Health, Newborough, Victoria, Australia. darryl.maybery@monash.edu.
authors.forename: Darryl
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Maybery
authors.affiliation: Interchange Gippsland, Newborough, Victoria, Australia. katylyn.eaton@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Kaytlyn
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Eaton
mesh_terms: D000488:Allied Health Personnel / Q000193:education*; D001315:Australia; D002321:Career Choice; D004506:Education, Nursing / Q000458:organization & administration; D004651:Employment / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005260:Female; D006280:Health Workforce / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008605:Mental Health Services; D019035:Rural Health Services; D012424:Rural Population; D013338:Students, Nursing / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Administrator; Allied Health; Australia/Pacific; Mental Health; Workforce