Examining geographical and household variation in mental health in Australia

Abstract

Objective: International research has failed to demonstrate area effects in the distribution of common mental disorders. In contrast, strong and robust household effects are evident, though relatively rarely examined. This study investigated household and area effects in the distribution of mental health scores using Australian data. Method: Analysis of data from the first wave of the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia Survey: a large representative survey of 13 969 Australian adults. Multilevel regression methods were used to model variance in the mental health scale and mental component summary scale of the Short-Form 36 at the individual, household and area (Census Collect..