Table 1: Prevalence of mental health disorders by capital city/balance and by section of state 2007
|
Anxiety disorders |
Affective disorders |
Substance use disorders |
any 12 month mental disorder |
|
|
|
Crude percent |
|||
|
State capital city |
14.7 |
6.7 |
5.5 |
20.5 |
|
Balance of state/territory |
13.8 |
5.3 |
4.4 |
19.1 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Major urban |
14.6 |
6.5 |
5.5 |
20.4 |
|
Other urban |
13.3 |
6.1 |
4.8 |
19.2 |
|
Balance of state |
14.9 |
5.1 |
3.5 |
19.2 |
Source: ABS National Mental Health and Wellbeing Survey http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/DetailsPage/4326.02007?OpenDocument
Note that 2007 is currently the most recent National Mental Health Survey data.
Based on the two geographic classifications in Table 1 above, the prevalence of mental disorders tends to be lower outside capital cities/major urban areas; certainly for Affective and Substance use disorders, and likely for Anxiety disorders.
Table 2: Prevalence of mental and behavioural problems, by Remoteness, 2011-12 and 2014-15
|
|
MC |
IR |
OR/Remote |
|
|
Percent |
||
|
Crude 2014-15 |
16.9 |
19.0 |
19.1 |
|
Age standardised 2011-12 |
12.8 |
15.5 |
15.1 |
Source: Crude percentages ABS NHS http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/DetailsPage/4364.0.55.0012014-15?OpenDocument. Age standardised percentages http://www.phidu.torrens.edu.au/social-health-atlases/data
Note: Mental and behavioural problems includes organic mental problems, alcohol and drug problems, mood (affective) problems, anxiety related problems and other mental and behavioural problems. Age standardised rates had not been published at the time of writing, and so rates from the previous (2011-12) National Health Survey, for which age standardised rates are available, have been included.
Note: MC=Major cities, IR= Inner regional, OR/Remote= Outer regional/remote areas.
Addition of alcohol and drug problems (Table 2) for example, changes the picture, with higher rates of this combined “mental and behavioural problems” category in rural areas. We know that rates of alcohol and tobacco use are higher in rural and remote areas than in Major cities.