Trends in mental health service utilisation by Australia's older population.

ABSTRACT:

Objectives

To examine the incidence, trends, and differences between age groups and sex in Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS)-subsidised mental health service utilisation by older Australians over the past 10 years.

Methods

A cross-sectional cohort study between 1 July 2009 and 30 June 2019 was conducted using publicly available MBS data for older individuals aged ≥65 years. Age- and sex-standardised yearly incidence rates of psychological therapy (MBS M06), GP mental health treatments (MBS A20), focussed psychological strategy (MBS M07), and psychiatric attendances (MBS A08) and incidence rate ratios (IRR) estimated using Poisson regression were calculated.

Results

Overall, the rate of utilisation of primary care mental health services by the older population increased

SUBMITTER: Bartholomaeus JD 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10947389 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature