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Cited by 79Mental Health Treatment and AccessPsychiatric care and mental health servicesPsychology and Mental Health

Perceived Need for Mental Health Care: Findings from the 2007 Australian Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing

Meadows, Graham N., Burgess, Philip M.·2009·Australian & New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry
DOI 10.1080/00048670902970866
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Abstract

Objectives: To provide an overview of perceived need for mental health care and response of services to those needs as assessed by the general Australian adult population. Method: The Perceived Need for Care Questionnaire was administered to respondents of the Australian 2007 National Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing. This instrument allows for self assessment of needs for five kinds of intervention from mental health services as needed in the last year. Specific needs assessed included: medication, information, counselling including psychotherapy, social interventions and skills training: Needs for care may be rated as unmet, partially met and met. Results: Approximately 14% of the population perceived a need for mental health care and between 7% and 8% perceived a met need for either counselling or medication. Need for care was less likely to be perceived by people with substance use disorders than among those with anxiety or affective disorders. For just under half of the population with perceived need (45%), all perceived needs were rated as met, and for around one in five of those with perceived needs, none of their perceived needs were met. Proportionally, needs for medication are most likely to be rated as met at 84%, needs for counselling and information are met at a rate of between 50% and 60%, skills training approximately 40%, and social interventions needs are those least likely to be rated as fully met, at 25%. Conclusions: Mental health care is delivered in large volume and often with high levels of acceptability to the Australian community, although major gaps still remain. It appears that the disparity between need and care may be proportionally larger in the areas described as skills training and social interventions than areas outside of conventional mental health service domains of provision and medication and psychotherapy or counselling.

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  • Isolated evidence from various parts of the health care suggests that help-seeking for mental health problems has increased in many developed countries.

    “Isolated evidence from various parts of the health care suggests that help-seeking for mental health problems has increased in many developed countries [17–20, 31, 32].”

    From Trends in psychiatric diagnoses, medications and psychological therapies in a large Swedish region: A population-based study (2020) · cites this paper as [20]

  • Existing face-to-face services pose significant barriers for young people largely due to access, availability, and high costs, as well as reluctance due to stigma and embarrassment.

    “In addition, existing face-to-face services pose significant barriers for young people [10-16] largely due to access, availability, and high costs of these services [17], as well as the reluctance of young people to seek professional help due to stigma and embarrassment [18-20].”

    From Do online mental health services improve help-seeking for young people? A systematic review (2014) · cites this paper as [15]

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Authors
Meadows, G. N., & Burgess, P. M.
Affiliations
  • Dandenong Hospital (AU)
  • The University of Queensland (AU)
Corresponding author
Meadows, Graham N.
ORCID
Venue
Australian & New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry
Publisher
SAGE Publications
Published
2009-01-01
Volume
43
Issue
7
Pages
624-634
ISSN
  • 0004-8674 (ISSN-L)
  • 1440-1614
DOI
10.1080/00048670902970866
OpenAlex
W2097037390
Cited by
79
References
24
Citations by year
2026: 2 · 2025: 5 · 2024: 1 · 2023: 5 · 2022: 3 · 2021: 3 · 2020: 7 · 2019: 3 · 2018: 3 · 2017: 5 · 2016: 6 · 2015: 5 · 2014: 6 · 2013: 3 · 2012: 5
FWCI
9.14
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Licence
journals.sagepub.com/page/policies/text-and-data-mining-license (tdm)
Locations
  • Australian & New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
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 › Psychology and Mental Health
Keywords
perceived need for mental health care, mental health service utilization, unmet mental health needs, mental health treatment gap, substance use disorders, anxiety disorders, mood disorders, psychotherapy, counseling, medication, social intervention, skills training, Australian adults
MeSH terms
Adult, Anxiety Disorders, Attitude to Health, Australia, Mental Disorders, Counseling, Drug Therapy, Health Services Needs and Demand, Humans, Mental Health Services, Psychotherapy, Quality of Life, Surveys and Questionnaires, Substance-Related Disorders, Needs Assessment, Young Adult

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