Distributing mental health care resources: Strategic implications from the National Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing

Abstract

Objective: This paper considers mental health services resource distribution under the Australian second national mental health plan, with its direction to mental health services to be more inclusive of people with higher prevalence psychiatric disorders. We consider inequalities in mental health in Australia, and describe the performance of the composite census variable employed in the Victorian mental health funding distribution formula, the index of relative socioeconomic disadvantage (IRSED), in predicting disorder rates and perceived needs for care. Method: We review data sets generated through the National Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing (NSMHWB) for their utility in development ..