Despite greater levels of mental illness in poorer areas, access to specialised mental health services in Melton and Moorabool lags behind more affluent suburbs.
Researchers at Monash University assessed mental health service use in Australia for the four years to June, 2011, and found “higher socio-economic disadvantage in areas was typically associated with lower use” of psychiatry and clinical psychology therapy services.
The study found there were only 47 psychiatrist consultations for every 1000 Melton residents and 31.1 clinical psychologist therapy sessions.
The figures for Moorabool were 44.2 and 51.4.
Mental health patients in the city of Boroondara, which includes suburbs such as Hawthorn, Kew and Camberwell, had accessed psychiatrist services about five times more often (225.2 for every 1000 people).
Lead researcher Graham Meadows said they found the poorer suburbs were being served at “only half the rate” of those in wealthier ones.
“But I think we can be pretty confident there’s much more need for care in poorer areas,” Professor Meadows said.
“Unemployment is both a result and cause of mental disorders and unemployed people tend to be more in poorer areas.”
He said people in “lower-status occupations”, who did not have as much power over their lives or careers, tended to be more susceptible to mental health problems but were not serviced by greater numbers of qualified mental health staff.
“Medicare doesn’t ensure [the services] are there; it just creates the possibility to claiming for the services,” he said.
“You would find it’s very difficult to get access to these services [in rural and disadvantaged areas].”
The report came as Gorton MP Brendan O’Connor called on the federal government to reconsider its decision not to establish a Headspace centre in Melton.
Headspace provides people aged 12 to 25 with mental health, education and employment, and alcohol and drug services.
Djerrwarrh Health Services and Melton and Moorabool councils have put forward a submission to the federal government for a Melton centre that would serve young people from Caroline Springs to Bacchus Marsh.
“With its expansion, the area is also seeing increasingly high levels of social disadvantage and its young people are experiencing significant mental health distress,” Mr O’Connor said.
The nearest Headspace centres are at Sunshine and Ballarat.
