Health in Hunter New England - Mental health: Introduction

Introduction

In this section

Introduction

Mortality

Suicide and self-inflicted injury deaths

Morbidity

Attempted suicide hospital separations

High and very high psychological distress by age, HNE, 2009

High and very high psychological distress by year, HNE, 1997-2009

Psychological distress by Health Area

High and very high psychological distress by health area, Aboriginal persons aged 16 years and over, NSW 2002-2005

Substantial risk of developing a clinically significant behavioural problem by area health service, children 4-15 years, NSW, 2007-2008

Mental ill health is one of the leading causes of non-fatal burden of disease and injury in Australia. Mental problems are also associated with higher rates of health risk factors, poorer physical health, and higher rates of deaths from many causes including suicide (AIHW, 2008). Mental ill health was estimated to account for 13% of the disease burden in Australia in 2003, with anxiety and depression, alcohol abuse and personality disorders accounting for almost three-quarters of this burden. Only 7% of the burden from mental disorders is due to mortality, most of which is accounted for by fatal outcomes associated with substance abuse (Begg et al., 2007).

In New South Wales, depression is the leading cause of years lost due to disability and ranks fourth in terms of total disease burden (years of healthy life lost due to premature death, disease and injury). The 1997 National Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing reported that 18 percent of adults had reported having a mental disorder in the 12 months preceding the survey, with depression being the most common disorder reported (3.4 percent of males and 6.8 percent of females) (ABS, 1997). The National Survey of Mental Health and Well-Being; Child and Adolescent section showed significant levels of depression, conduct disorder, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder affecting a total of 14.5 percent of children and young people (Sawyer et al., 2000) (CHO, 2004).

This section uses data from NSW Health's Health Survey programme to describe the burden of psychological distress in the community. This provides information on the effect of these disorders on the ability of people to work, study and manage their day-to-day activities.

For more information:: Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. Australia's health 2008. Cat. no. AUS 99. Canberra: AIHW, 2008. Available at: www.aihw.gov.au/publications/index.cfm/title/10585; Begg S, Vos T, Barker B. et al. The burden of disease and injury in Australia, 2003. PHE 82. Canberra: AIHW, 2007. Available at www.aihw.gov.au/publications/index.cfm/title/10317; Australian Bureau of Statistics. National Health Survey 2001: Mental health. ABS Catalogue no. 4811.0. Canberra: ABS 2003.; Australian Bureau of Statistics. National Health Survey 2004-05: Summary of results. ABS Cat. NO. 4364.0 Canberra: ABS, 2006. Available at www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/DetailsPage/4364.02004-05?OpenDocument.; NSW Government New South Wales Interagency Action Plan for Better Mental Health Sydney: Available at http://www.dpc.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0015/11490/interagency.pdf; NSW Department of Health Housing and Accommodation Support Initiative (HASI) for people with mental illness Sydney: NSW Department of Health, 2006. Available at http://www.health.nsw.gov.au/pubs/2007/hasi_intiative.html; NSW Department of Health. Improving mental health and wellbeing in NSW. Sydney: NSW Department of Health, 2003. Available at www.health.nsw.gov.au/pubs/i/pdf/well_improve.pdf.; NSW Department of Health. NSW School link initiative. Sydney: NSW Department of Health, 2003. Available at www.health.nsw.gov.au/pubs/s/pdf/well_school-link.pdf.; NSW Department of Health. Suicide prevention in NSW. Sydney: NSW Department of Health, 2003. Available at www.health.nsw.gov.au/pubs/s/pdf/well_suicide.pdf.; NSW Department of Health. Integrated Perinatal and infant care (IPC). Sydney: NSW Department of Health, 2003. Available at http://www.health.nsw.gov.au/pubs/i/pdf/infant_care.pdf. More information about the IPC program available at www.health.nsw.gov.au/policy/cmh/peri.html.; NSW Department of Health. Early Psychosis Program at www.health.nsw.gov.au/policy/cmh/psych.html.; Australian Bureau of Statistics. Mental health and wellbeing of adults, Australia 1997. Catalogue no. 4360.0. Canberra: ABS, 1997. Available at www.abs.gov.au.; Sawyer MG, Arney FM, Baghurst PA, Clark JJ, Graetz BW, Kosky RJ et al. The Mental Health of Young People in Australia: The Child and Adolescent Component of the National Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing. Canberra: Australian Government Publishing Service, 2000.; Australian Government of Health and Aged Care's suicide prevention information available at Suicide prevention, national suicide prevention strategy www.health.gov.au/internet/wcms/publishing.nsf/Content/mental-suicide and at Healthinsite www.healthinsite.gov.au/topics/Suicide_Prevention.; NSW Department of Health. New South Wales: A New Direction for Mental Health . Sydney: NSW Department of Health, 2006. Available at www.health.nsw.gov.au/pubs/2006/pdf/mental_health.pdf.; Australian Bureau of Statistics. Causes of Death, Australia 2006. Catalogue no. 3303.0. Canberra: ABS, 2008. Available at www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/0/2093DA6935DB138FCA2568A9001393C9
Print version:: Although this page can be printed directly from your Web browser, a higher quality version of this entire page (graph, table and text) is available as an Acrobat PDF file which can be printed or viewed on screen using free software
Rider:: The information presented in this resource result from analyses of a variety of social and health focused data sets. These data sets originate from a variety of sources including Hunter New England Health, the NSW Department of Health, and the Australian Bureau of Statistics. The timing of the release of these data to third parties is controlled by the owner of these data. It is therefore possible for these organisations to publish data that they have not yet made available to Hunter New England Population Health for analysis and release. Users should therefore check the publications of these organisations as it is possible that they may have published even more up to date information on Hunter New England than those available in this resource. As this resource is an ongoing project, the indicators presented will be updated as soon as possible after the release of all data sets to Hunter New England Population Health.
Copyright notice:: This work is copyright © It may be reproduced in whole or in part for study training purposes subject to the inclusion of an acknowledgement of the source. It may not be reproduced for commercial usage or sale. Reproduction for purposes other than those indicated above requires written permission from Hunter New England Health.
© NSW Department of Health and Hunter New England Health 2010.
Suggested citation:: Hunter New England Population Health, Health in Hunter New England HealtheResource, Hunter New England Area Health Service, 2010. Available at: http://www2.hnehealth.nsw.gov.au/HNEPH/HHNE/men/menintro.htm - Accessed (insert date of access).
Contributors:: Assistance from NSW Department of Health: This resource is modified from work undertaken for the production of the electronic and hard copy versions of the report Health of the people of NSW Report of the Chief Health Officer, (http://www.health.nsw.gov.au/public-health/chorep/) by the Centre for Epidemiology and Research of the NSW Department of Health. This work includes research and definition of indicators, programming framework, statistical programs, text and programming infrastructure for web publishing. Hunter New England Population Health has produced a local version of the report reflecting local concerns, where appropriate, and ensuring that only minimal changes were made in other parts of the text and presentation in the interest of consistency at a state level.
Produced by:: Hunter New England Population Health, Hunter New England Health, with assistance from Centre for Epidemiology and Research, NSW Health and modified from the electronic report Health of the people of NSW Report of the Chief Health Officer, (http://www.health.nsw.gov.au/public-health/chorep/
Last updated:: 13 May 2010
See NSW Data:: To view state data, relating to this indicator go to the report Health of the people of NSW: Report of the Chief Health Officer. (http://www.health.nsw.gov.au/public-health/chorep/) or intranet version