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. 2025 Apr;33(2):252-258.
doi: 10.1177/10398562251316365. Epub 2025 Jan 24.

Mapping the regional and remote specialised mental health workforce: Commentary on the AIHW data for 2022-2023

Jeffrey Cl Looi  1   2 , Stephen Allison  2   3 , Tarun Bastiampillai  2   3   4 , Steve Kisely  2   5   6
Affiliations

Mapping the regional and remote specialised mental health workforce: Commentary on the AIHW data for 2022-2023

Jeffrey Cl Looi et al. Australas Psychiatry. 2025 Apr.

Abstract

ObjectiveThe Australian Institute of Health and Welfare publishes statistical indicator reports on the specialised mental health workforce. These include data for 2022-2023 on psychiatrists, mental health nurses, mental health occupational therapists, psychologists and mental health social workers. We provide a brief commentary on these reports, reflecting upon the implications of such changes for psychiatric practice and patient care.ConclusionsOverall, there are fewer mental health workers with increasing distance from urban centres. There are insufficient rural psychiatrists with the NT and Queensland having higher rates per 100,000 in outer regional and remote areas. Psychologists and mental health nurses have the highest rates per 100,000 in rural areas. Though low in absolute rates per 100,000, mental health social workers are better distributed in rural compared to urban areas. Further data on public, private and non-governmental sector employment would be useful.

Keywords: mental health nurse; mental health workforce; occupational therapist; psychiatrist; psychologist; social worker.

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Conflict of interest statement

DisclosureThe author(s) declared the following potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: JCLL, SA, TB, and SK are on the editorial team of the journal and were not involved in the editorial handling of the paper. This paper is independently peer-reviewed. This paper reflects the views of the authors, not the journal.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Rate of psychiatrists per 100,000 population by remoteness classification. Source: Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, Mapbox, OpenStreetMap.
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
Rate of psychologists per 100,000 population by remoteness classification. Source: Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, Mapbox, OpenStreetMap.
Figure 3.
Figure 3.
Rate of mental health occupational therapists per 100,000 population by remoteness classification. Source: Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, Mapbox, OpenStreetMap.
Figure 4.
Figure 4.
Rate of mental health nurses per 100,000 population by remoteness classification. Source: Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, Mapbox, OpenStreetMap.
Figure 5.
Figure 5.
Rate of mental health social workers per 100,000 population by remoteness classification. Source: Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, Mapbox, OpenStreetMap.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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