Mind Australia’s research has identified that women, youth, and gender diverse people are presenting with higher levels of psychological distress in its sub-acute services. These three cohorts also have comparatively lower rates of psychological distress at exit.
Mind presented these findings at its first annual online research mini-conference last month. The event is an opportunity for Mind to share its findings with its staff, clinical partners, and stakeholders across the country, highlighting areas of success and discussing how to achieve more equitable outcomes.
Mind’s Research and Evaluation team measures outcomes across all Mind services, using validated instruments including the Kessler 6 for psychological distress.
Dr Laura Hayes, Research Manager at Mind said the data showed young people, gender diverse and female residents experienced significantly higher levels of psychological distress than other residents.
“When we drilled down into the data, we found three main groups that entered PARCs and SUSDs (Prevention And Recovery Care and Step Up Step Down services) with greater distress at entry, and lower rates of distress at exit. While all groups made the same magnitude of improvement over their stay, some groups still had high rates of distress when they exited the service,” Dr Hayes said.
“For example, gender diverse residents’ distress at exit (20.4) is higher than men’s at entry (19.4).”
Delivered in partnership with hospitals, SUSDs and PARCs provide recovery support in short-stay (up to 28 days) sub-acute residential units as an alternative to hospital (step up) or to help transition from hospital back into the community (step down).
The surveys used to collect this data are designed to target specific outcomes according to the aims of the service stream being assessed. For example, at SUSDs and PARCs, the key aims are to reduce people’s psychological distress and support them to better manage daily living in the community. The surveys are completed when residents enter and exit the service so they can reflect on their progress.
Dr Hayes said that while the data showed that PARC and SUSD service users as a whole were achieving significant decreases in psychological distress and other positive outcomes during their stay, it was important to identify and address cohorts that needed extra support.
Having identified these inequities in outcomes, the conference provided insights from experts in mental health support for each of the cohorts, as an opportunity for Mind and its clinical partners to find ways to address the gap.
These were Dr Jennifer Babb and Maria Bradshaw from the Women’s Recovery Network; Dr Justine Fletcher from University of Melbourne; headspace Greensborough Service Manager Jacqueline Thompson-Bennetts; Nic Robinson-Griffith, Therapeutic Service Director - Thorne Harbour Health; Alysha Bonell from Peninsula Health Adult PARC, and Ashleigh Leventhal from Mind Australia.
For more information about Mind support services near you, visit the Mind service finder or phone 1300 286 463.