Journal article
Patterns and Predictors of Primary Mental Health Service Use Following Bushfire and Flood Disasters
Lennart Reifels, Bridget Bassilios, Matthew J Spittal, Kylie King, Justine Fletcher, Jane Pirkis
DISASTER MEDICINE AND PUBLIC HEALTH PREPAREDNESS | CAMBRIDGE UNIV PRESS | Published : 2015
DOI: 10.1017/dmp.2015.23
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To examine patterns and predictors of primary mental health care service use following 2 major Australian natural disaster events. METHODS: Utilizing data from a national minimum dataset, descriptive and regression analyses were conducted to identify levels and predictors of the use of the Access to Allied Psychological Services (ATAPS) program over a 2-year period following 2 major Australian bushfire and flood/cyclone disasters. RESULTS: The bushfire disaster resulted in significantly greater and more enduring ATAPS service volume, while service delivery for both disasters peaked in the third quarter. Consumers affected by bushfires (IRR 1.51, 95% CI 1.20-1.89), diagnosed with d..
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Funding Acknowledgements
This work was supported through funding from the Australian Government Department of Health. An earlier version of this paper was presented at the joint conference of the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies (ISTSS), The Seventh Hospital of Hangzhou, and the Zhejiang Behavior Medicine Association in Hangzhou, China, in October 2014. There were no reported conflicting interests for this article.