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Mental health issues and resources in rural and regional communities: An exploration of perceptions of service providers
Author(s) -
Turpin Merrill,
Bartlett Helen,
Kavanagh David,
Gallois Cindy
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
australian journal of rural health
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.48
H-Index - 49
eISSN - 1440-1584
pISSN - 1038-5282
DOI - 10.1111/j.1440-1584.2007.00870.x
Subject(s) - focus group , service provider , mental health , nursing , service (business) , exploratory research , inclusion (mineral) , perception , promotion (chess) , accommodation , service delivery framework , mental health service , public relations , mental illness , business , medicine , psychology , marketing , sociology , political science , psychiatry , social psychology , neuroscience , politics , anthropology , law
Objective: To identify service providers' and community organisations' perceptions of the resources available to support people with mental illness and the unmet needs of this client group in rural Queensland.Design: An exploratory study was undertaken involving focus group interviews across the study sites.Setting: Five regional towns in rural Queensland.Participants: Ten to 14 members were recruited for each of the five focus groups. The groups represented a diverse mix of participants including health and community service providers and representatives from community organisations.Results: Participants identified gaps in services in relation to health, employment and education, housing and accommodation, transport and social inclusion and health promotion. Inter‐service communication and inappropriate funding models were themes affecting service delivery.Conclusions: Specific service issues of housing and transport were identified to be particularly problematic for people with mental illness across all towns. Intersectoral communication and funding models require further research.