@article{ref1,
title="Suicide and mental health in rural, remote and metropolitan areas in Australia",
journal="Medical journal of Australia",
year="2004",
author="Caldwell, T. M. and Jorm, Anthony F. and Dear, Keith B. G.",
volume="181",
number="7",
pages="S10-4",
abstract="OBJECTIVES: To compare the prevalence of mental health disorders and the use of professional help by area of residence, age and sex; and to determine whether the differences parallel differences in suicide rates. DESIGN: Retrospective cross-sectional analysis of Australian national mortality data (1997-2000) and the National Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing (1997), using broad area-of-residence classifications based on the Rural, Remote and Metropolitan Area (RRMA) index. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: (a) Suicide rates; (b) prevalence of depression, anxiety and substance-use disorders; and (c) use of health professionals for mental health problems - by age, sex and area of residence. RESULTS: Higher suicide rates were evident for men, particularly young men in rural (40.4 per 100 000; z, 3.2) and remote (51.7 per 100 000; z, 7.2) populations compared with metropolitan (31.8 per 100 000) populations. Although the proportion of young men reporting mental health disorders did not differ significantly between rural (23.5%; z, -0.5) and remote (18.8%; z, -1.6) areas compared with metropolitan (25.6%) areas, young men with a mental health disorder from non-metropolitan areas were significantly less likely than those from metropolitan areas to seek professional help for a mental health disorder (11.4% v 25.2%; z, -2.2). CONCLUSIONS: There is a need to investigate why young men in non-metropolitan areas, the population with the greatest suicide risk, do and do not engage with mental health services.",
language="",
issn="0025-729X",
doi="",
url="http://dx.doi.org/"
}