PERSONS AGED 15-74 YEARS

As noted previously, the number of deaths of persons aged 75 years and over who accessed mental health-related treatments in 2011 accounted for around two-thirds (65.2%) of all deaths amongst this population. While it is important to consider deaths of persons of all ages, the characteristics of deaths of all persons who accessed mental health-related treatments in 2011 are largely driven by this age group. Focussing on the population aged 15-74 years provides insights into patterns of mortality and associated characteristics for younger age groups. This is important given many deaths in this population are potentially avoidable (that is, potentially preventable through individualised care and/or treatable through existing primary or hospital care)[1].

There were 53,289 deaths of persons aged 15-74 years registered in Australia in 2011-12 (between 10 August 2011 and 27 September 2012 inclusive). Persons who accessed mental health-related treatments accounted for 49.5% of all deaths of 15-74 year olds in this period (26,375 deaths).

Of the 26,375 deaths of persons aged 15-74 years who accessed mental health-related treatments in 2011, almost all had accessed PBS subsidised mental health-related prescription medications (24,925, or 94.5%). Almost one-quarter had accessed MBS subsidised mental health-related services (5,989, or 22.7%), almost twice the proportion of persons of all ages who had accessed MBS subsidised mental health-related services (12.1%), reflecting the higher use of mental health-related services amongst younger ages compared with older ages.



ENDNOTES

1 Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2017, Metadata Online Registry, National Healthcare Agreement: PI 16–Potentially avoidable deaths, 2017, viewed 24 August 2017, <http://meteor.aihw.gov.au/content/index.phtml/itemId/630024>