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Suicide and mental health in rural, remote and metropolitan areas in Australia
Med J Aust 2004; 181 (7 Suppl): S10.
Summary
Objectives:
To compare the prevalence of mental health disorders and the use of
professional help by area of residence, age and sex; and to determine
whether the differences parallel differences in suicide rates.
Design:
Retrospective cross-sectional analysis of Australian national mortality
data (1997–2000) and the National Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing
(1997), using broad area-of-residence classifications based on the
Rural, Remote and Metropolitan Area (RRMA) index.
Main outcome measures:
(a) Suicide rates; (b) prevalence of depression, anxiety and
substance-use disorders; and (c) use of health professionals for mental
health problems — by age, sex and area of residence.
Results: Higher suicide rates were evident for men, particularly young men in rural (40.4 per 100 000; z, 3.2) and remote (51.7 per 100 000; z,
7.2) populations compared with metropolitan (31.8 per 100 000)
populations. Although the proportion of young men reporting mental
health disorders did not differ significantly between rural (23.5%; z, –0.5) and remote (18.8%; z,
–1.6) areas compared with metropolitan (25.6%) areas, young men with a
mental health disorder from non-metropolitan areas were significantly
less likely than those from metropolitan areas to seek professional help
for a mental health disorder (11.4% v 25.2%; z, –2.2).
Conclusions:
There is a need to investigate why young men in non-metropolitan areas,
the population with the greatest suicide risk, do and do not engage
with mental health services.
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