The Australian and New Zealand journal of psychiatry
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Aust N Z J Psychiatry · Oct 2004
General practice encounters for psychological problems in rural, remote and metropolitan areas in Australia.
Previous Australian research suggests there is very little difference in the prevalence of mental health disorders across rural, remote and metropolitan areas. However, mental health specialists are particularly scarce in rural and remote areas and some researchers have argued that non-metropolitan residents rely heavily on general practitioners (GPs) for mental health care. This article investigated rates of GP services for psychological problems across rural, remote and metropolitan areas. ⋯ General practitioners provide fewer mental health services per capita in non-metropolitan areas. This difference could represent completely untreated psychological problems or fewer follow-up consultations. While non-metropolitan residents have limited access to specialists, rates of GP encounters for psychological problems are also very low.