Disparities in access to health care in Australia for people with mental health conditions
Open accessAbstract
Objective One aim of Australia's Equally Well National Consensus Statement is to improve monitoring of the physical health of people with mental health conditions, which includes measures of accessibility and people's experiences of physical health care services. The present analysis contributes to this aim by using population survey data to evaluate whether, and in what domains, Australians with a mental health condition experience barriers in accessing care when compared with Australians without a mental health condition. Methods The 2016 Commonwealth Fund International Health Policy Survey includes a sample of 5248 Australian adults. Access to care was measured using 39 survey questions from before to after reaching services. Multivariable logistic regression models were used to identify disparities in barriers to access, comparing experiences of people with and without a self-reported mental health condition, adjusting for age, sex, immigrant status, income and self-rated health. Results Australians with mental health conditions were more likely to experience barriers for 29 of 39 access measures (odds ratio (OR) >1.55; P<0.05). On average, the prevalence of barriers was 10 percentage points higher for those with a condition. When measured as ratios, the largest barriers for people with mental health conditions were for affordability. When measured as percentage point differences, the largest disparities were observed for experiences of not being treated with respect in hospital. Disparities remained after adjusting for income, rurality, education, immigrant status and self-rated health for 25 of 39 measures. Conclusion Compared with the rest of the community, Australians with mental health conditions have additional challenges negotiating the health system, and are more likely to experience barriers to access to care across a wide range of measures. Understanding the extent to which people with mental health conditions experience barriers throughout the pathway to accessing care is crucial to inform care planning and delivery for this vulnerable group. Results may inform improvements in regular performance monitoring of disparities in access for people with mental health conditions. What is known about this topic? A stated national aim of the Equally Well National Consensus Statement is to improve monitoring of the physical health and well-being of people with mental health conditions through measures of service accessibility and people's experiences of physical healthcare services. What does this paper add? This paper highlights areas in which health services are not providing equal access to overall care for people with mental health conditions. The analysis offers quantitative evidence of 'red flag areas' where people with mental health conditions are significantly more likely to experience barriers to access to care. What are the implications for practitioners? Systematic attention across the health system to making care more approachable and accessible for people with mental health conditions is needed. Practitioners may be engaged to discuss possible interventions to improve access disparities for people with mental health conditions.
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Barriers to delivering psychological care in the time following injury have been reported, including the potential limited availability of mental healthcare providers.
“However, barriers to delivering psychological care in the time following injury have been reported, including the potential limited availability of mental healthcare providers.17 18”
From Impact of healthcare interventions on distress following acute musculoskeletal/orthopaedic injury: A scoping review of systematic reviews (2024) · cites this paper as [18]
The Results report barriers to accessing care among Australian adults with mental health conditions. The Discussion says those barriers cannot be attributed specifically to mental or physical health services; the paper does not establish barriers to psychological care following injury or limited availability of mental healthcare providers. (LLM, conf=0.85)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredLimited access to psychology services has been described as a barrier to treatment in some settings, including for those with low income, in rural locations or with a disability.
“Limited access to psychology services has been described as a barrier to treatment in some settings, including for those with low income, in rural locations or with a disability.17 18”
From Impact of healthcare interventions on distress following acute musculoskeletal/orthopaedic injury: A scoping review of systematic reviews (2024) · cites this paper as [18]
The Introduction (page unavailable) describes access barriers affecting people with low income and those in rural areas, and the Results report barriers for people with mental health conditions. The cited paper addresses health care access broadly; the passages do not establish limited access to psychology services or identify disability as a barrier in the way claimed. (LLM, conf=0.84)
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- Authors
- Corscadden, L., Callander, E. J., & Topp, S. M.
- Affiliations
- Australian Institute of Tropical Health and Medicine (AU)
- James Cook University (AU)
- Corresponding author
- Corscadden, L.
- Venue
- Australian Health Review
- Publisher
- CSIRO Publishing
- Published
- 2018-07-17
- Volume
- 43
- Issue
- 6
- Pages
- 619-627
- ISSN
- 0156-5788 (ISSN-L)
- 1449-8944
- OpenAlex
- W2883733957
- Cited by
- 16
- References
- 12
- Citations by year
- 2026: 3 · 2025: 6 · 2024: 3 · 2023: 1 · 2022: 1 · 2021: 2
- FWCI
- 0.68
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- hybrid
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- Australian Health Review (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- ResearchOnline - JCU (James Cook University) (submittedVersion)
- Griffith Research Online (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Mental Health Treatment and Access
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Psychiatric care and mental health services
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Migration, Health and Trauma
- Keywords
- mental illness, health care access, barriers to care, health disparities, physical health care, patient experience, Australia, immigrant status, income, self-rated health, rurality, care planning, health system access
- MeSH terms
- Adolescent, Adult, Aged, Attitude to Health, Australia, Mental Disorders, Female, Health Services Accessibility, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Logistic Models, Health Care Surveys, Healthcare Disparities, Young Adult
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