Open AccessEmployee psychological distress and treated prevalence by indices of rurality
Author(s) -
Hilton Michael F.,
Scheurer Roman W.,
Sheridan Judith,
Cleary Catherine M.,
Whiteford Harvey A.
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
australian and new zealand journal of public health
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.946
H-Index - 76
eISSN - 1753-6405
pISSN - 1326-0200
DOI - 10.1111/j.1753-6405.2010.00590.x
Subject(s) - rurality , psychological intervention , psychological distress , mental health , medicine , population , distress , mental health literacy , cross sectional study , rural area , psychiatry , environmental health , mental illness , clinical psychology , pathology
Objective:Although there is population data on the prevalence and treated prevalence of mental disorders by urban‐rural indices, there is a lacuna of information pertaining to employees. This paper examines the prevalence and treated prevalence of psychological distress in employees by urban‐rural indicators.Methods:Cross‐sectional employee Health and Performance at Work Questionnaire responses (n=78,726 from 58 large companies) are interrogated by indices of remoteness (Accessibility/Remoteness Index of Australia), psychological distress (Kessler 6) and treatment‐seeking behaviours for mental health problems.Results:The overall prevalence of moderate or high psychological distress in employees was 35.2%. The prevalence varied only slightly (maximum to minimum difference of 4.6%) by rural/remote indices. Overall treatment‐seeking behaviour for psychological distress was low (22.5%). The percentage of employees seeking treatment for high levels of psychological distress was the lowest in very remote regions (15.1%).Conclusion:Very remote employees are less likely to access mental health treatments and may be an employee subgroup that would benefit from specific employer health interventions aimed to increase treatment‐seeking behaviours.Implications:Employees in very remote Australia could benefit from specific interventions aimed to increase mental health awareness/literacy.