Text description: Mental health care needs and access among Australian men

Infographic 1

Around three in 10 Australian men accessed a mental health service at least partly funded by the Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) at some point between 2012 and 2021. Almost one in three were prescribed mental health medications at least partly funded by the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) during the same period.

Infographic2

Mental health services visits that involved no out-of-pocket expenses: General Practitioners 84%, psychologists 50%, psychiatrists 30%.

Infographic 3

Prevalence of depressive symptoms among TTM participants. 64% of Australian men in the sample had no or minimal depressive symptoms. 36% experienced mild to severe depressive symptoms.

Figure 2.1: Usage rates by mental health care service and prescription, 2013-20

Line graph (complex)

  • Services:
    • Mental health service,
    • Clinical psychologist
    • Psychiatrist
    • GP related to mental health
    • Other allied health
    • Psychologist including clinical
  • Prescriptions:
    • Mental Health Prescription,
    • Antipsychotics,
    • Anxiolytics,
    • Hypnotics and sedatives,
    • Antidepressants,
    • Psychostimulants

Figure 2.2: Average annual out-of-pocket costs by mental health care service and prescription, 2013-20

Line graph (complex)

  • Services:
    • Psychiatrists,
    • Clinical psychologists,
    • Psychologist including clinical,
    • Other allied health,
    • GP related to Mental Health
  • Prescriptions:
    • Psychostimulants,
    • Antidepressants,
    • Antipsychotics,
    • Anxiolytics,
    • Hypnotics and sedatives

Figure 2.3: Annual mental health care usage rates by depression category (PHQ-9) and socio-demographic characteristics, 2014

Bar charts

Depression category (PHQ-9)

  • no to mild:
    • mental health services 5.4%,
    • mental health prescriptions 10.1%
  • moderate to severe:
    • mental health services 23.9%,
    • mental health prescriptions 37.7%

Age Groups

  • 18-24:
    • mental health services 8.4%,
    • mental health prescriptions 9.3%
  • 25-34:
    • mental health services 8.4%,
    • mental health prescriptions 12.1%
  • 35-44:
    • mental health services 8.5%,
    • mental health prescriptions 14.6%
  • 45-55:
    • mental health services 6.8%,
    • mental health prescriptions 16.3%

Education

  • Under Year 12:
    • mental health services 10.0%,
    • mental health prescriptions 20.6%
  • Year 12/Cert.:
    • mental health services 8.2%,
    • mental health prescriptions 14.2%
  • University:
    • mental health services 6.3%,
    • mental health prescriptions 9.9%

Employment Status

  • Employed:
    • mental health services 6.5%,
    • mental health prescriptions 11.5%
  • Unemployed:
    • mental health services 14.5%,
    • mental health prescriptions 22.3%
  • Not in labour force:
    • mental health services 18.6%,
    • mental health prescriptions 35.8%

Residential Region

  • Major cities:
    • mental health services 8.2%,
    • mental health prescriptions 12.3%
  • Regional/remote:
    • mental health services 7.5%,
    • mental health prescriptions 16.2%

Indigenous

  • not Indigenous:
    • mental health services 7.7%,
    • mental health prescriptions 13.6%
  • Indigenous:
    • mental health services 13.2%,
    • mental health prescriptions 25.9%

CALD

  • not CALD:
    • mental health services 8.3%,
    • mental health prescriptions 15.6%
  • CALD:
    • mental health services 7.4%,
    • mental health prescriptions 11.7%

With Disability

  • without Disability:
    • mental health services 7.1%,
    • mental health prescriptions 12.2%
  • with Disability:
    • mental health services 18.9%,
    • mental health prescriptions 36.8%

Figure 2.4: Factors associated with non-usage of mental health care two years following interviews in 2013/14 and 2015/16, by depression (PHQ-9) category (N = 8,887)

Line graph (complex)
More likely to access/less likely to access

  • 18-24, 25-34, 35-44, 44+
  • Less than Year 12, Year 12/Certificate, University
  • Employed, unemployed, not in labour force, financial hardships
  • Never married, married/de factor, divorced/separated/widowed
  • Standardised Masculinity score (CMNA), with disability, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander, CALD, Major cities, regional remote

Figure 2.5: Counts of mental health service utilisation and common GP consultations, January 2018-January 2021 

Line graph (complex)

  • MBS: Health Services, 2018 to 2020 by Count (Mental Health) and Count (GP)
  • Mental health services including COVID telehealth
  • Mental Health Services excluding telehealth
  • Common GP consultations including COVID telehealth

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