Evidence map›Paper›PMID 37670830›Full record

ArticleFrontiers in public health2023

Mental health and use of Medicare Benefits Schedule follow-up mental health services by Indigenous people in Australia during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Kim Usher, Debra Jackson, Wenbo Peng, Suruchi Amarasena, Debbie McCowan, Joe Miller, Belinda Cashman, David Sibbritt

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Frontiers in public health, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
0.6field-weighted citation impact, top 30% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed, 2 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Article
  2. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors at 5 institutions in 1 country.

Kim UsherSchool of Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of New England, Armidale, NSW, Australia.
Debra JacksonSusan Wakil School of Nursing and Midwifery, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
Wenbo PengSchool of Public Health, Faculty of Health, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
Suruchi AmarasenaWalhallow Aboriginal Health Service, Quirindi, NSW, Australia.
Debbie McCowanArmajun Health Service Aboriginal Corporation, Inverell, NSW, Australia.
Joe MillerSchool of Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of New England, Armidale, NSW, Australia.
Belinda CashmanAboriginal Maternal & Infant Health Service, Western Sydney Local Health District, Mount Druitt, NSW, Australia.
David SibbrittSchool of Public Health, Faculty of Health, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
Tharawal Aboriginal · AUUniversity of New England · AUUniversity of Technology Sydney · AUSydney Local Health District · AUUniversity of Sydney · AU

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Background: Mental health care has declined during the COVID-19 pandemic as has attendance for preventive mental health health services. This study aimed to investigate trends in all types of mental health service claims identified in an Indigenous-specific health assessment for Indigenous people before and during COVID-19. Methods: We conducted an analysis of Medicare Benefits Scheme (MBS) mental health service items (Items 81,325 and 81,355), to investigate the trends in all types of mental health service claims specifically intended for Indigenous people of Australia. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, including the total annual numbers of Indigenous peoples' mental health service claims cross-tabulated by age groups and gender, between the calendar years 2017-2021. Multivariable Poisson regression modelling was used to determine associations that were statistically significant. Results: Our results indicate an overall rise in MBS claims for mental health follow-up services during 2019-2020 followed by a decline in 2020-2021. In addition, there was an overall decline in claims for follow-up psychology services across the time period 2019-2021. Conclusion: We found a significant decline in MBS items specific to follow-up mental health services (MBS Items 81,325 and 81,355) for Indigenous people in Australia suggesting a decline in attendance for mental health service follow-up which in turn may indicate a deficit in mental health care during the COVID-19 pandemic, an issue that may lead to poorer mental health outcomes in the future. Further research is needed to understand whether these changes were due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic or other factors.

Indexed as

COVID-19Mental Health ServicesAgedAustraliaFollow-Up StudiesHumansIndigenous PeoplesMental HealthNational Health ProgramsPandemicsCOVID-19 pandemicIndigenous peoplesMedicaremental healthpreventive health services

Identifiers

PMID37670830
PMCPMC10475934
OpenAlexW4386033228

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.