Is there a missing-middle in Australian mental health care?
Author(s)
Jeffrey Cl, Looi
Stephen R, Kisely
Stephen, Allison
Tarun, Bastiampillai
Griffith University Author(s)
Year published
2021
Metadata
Show full item recordAbstract
OBJECTIVE: The term 'missing-middle' has been prominent in discourse relating to provision of mental health care in Australia, particularly by proponents of non-governmental youth mental health services such as headspace and related adult services. We investigate whether there is an empirical basis for use of the 'missing-middle' term, founded on qualitative and quantitative research. CONCLUSIONS: Despite the widespread use of the term 'missing-middle' for advocacy in Australia, there is a lack of research characterising the epidemiological characteristics of the group. The validity of advocacy predicated on the basis of the ...
View more >OBJECTIVE: The term 'missing-middle' has been prominent in discourse relating to provision of mental health care in Australia, particularly by proponents of non-governmental youth mental health services such as headspace and related adult services. We investigate whether there is an empirical basis for use of the 'missing-middle' term, founded on qualitative and quantitative research. CONCLUSIONS: Despite the widespread use of the term 'missing-middle' for advocacy in Australia, there is a lack of research characterising the epidemiological characteristics of the group. The validity of advocacy predicated on the basis of the 'missing-middle' care-gap should be reconsidered. Research, such as systematic service mapping and health needs assessment, is a necessary foundation for evidence-based mental healthcare policy, planning and implementation. Without such research, vital government funds may be deployed to 'missing-middle' programmes that may not improve Australian public health outcomes.
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View more >OBJECTIVE: The term 'missing-middle' has been prominent in discourse relating to provision of mental health care in Australia, particularly by proponents of non-governmental youth mental health services such as headspace and related adult services. We investigate whether there is an empirical basis for use of the 'missing-middle' term, founded on qualitative and quantitative research. CONCLUSIONS: Despite the widespread use of the term 'missing-middle' for advocacy in Australia, there is a lack of research characterising the epidemiological characteristics of the group. The validity of advocacy predicated on the basis of the 'missing-middle' care-gap should be reconsidered. Research, such as systematic service mapping and health needs assessment, is a necessary foundation for evidence-based mental healthcare policy, planning and implementation. Without such research, vital government funds may be deployed to 'missing-middle' programmes that may not improve Australian public health outcomes.
View less >
Journal Title
Australas Psychiatry
Note
This publication has been entered in Griffith Research Online as an advanced online version.
Subject
Health sciences
care-gaps
epidemiological data
evidence-based mental health policy
missing middle
programme outcome evaluation