NEW research has found that Australians living in the most disadvantaged areas experience the highest levels of mental health distress and have the least access to services.
Researchers used mental distress data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics in conjunction with census demographic data to investigate levels of mental health distress across the population.
They reported that about 6% of working-age adults experience 'very high' mental health distress, indicating a likely mental disorder.
However, the distribution was very uneven, with around 14% in the lowest-income households reaching this threshold compared with only 2% in the highest-income households.
To establish how equitably mental health services are distributed, the researchers calculated the total number of Medicare-subsidised mental health services provided in a year, and divided this by the number of people with the most need for those services (that is, those with the highest level of mental distress).
They found that among those with the most need of care, people living in the poorest areas received six times fewer Medicare-subsidised mental health services compared with those living in the richest areas.
However, when it comes to public community mental services, including public hospital outpatient services and other community services not funded by Medicare, a lower level of inequity was found.
Overall, when Medicare-funded and other public community mental health services were combined, people with the most need living in the poorest areas received three times fewer services than those in the richest areas.
The research "paints a picture of a two-tiered mental healthcare system, where the 'poor' are more reliant on public community mental health services, while everyone else uses Medicare", the team noted.
They proposed several potential reasons why people living in the poorest areas might access fewer Medicare-funded mental health services, including increasing out-of-pocket costs and a lack of services in many rural areas.
"Addressing inequity isn't just about more funding; it's about smarter, targeted investment," said Monash University's Associate Professor Joanne Enticott, adding that looking at equity in this way "helps ensure resources reach those most in need, not just those who can afford care". KB
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