The National Perinatal Depression Initiative: An evaluation of access to general practitioners, psychologists and psychiatrists through the Medicare Benefits Schedule

Conclusion:
In the 2 years following its introduction, the National Perinatal Depression Initiative was found to have increased access to Medicare funded mental health services in particular groups of women. However, an overall increase across all groups did not reach statistical significance. Further studies are needed to assess the impact of the National Perinatal Depression Initiative on women during childbearing years, including access to tertiary care, the cost-effectiveness of the initiative, and mental health outcomes. It is recommended that new mental health policy initiatives incorporate a planned strategic approach to evaluation, which includes sufficient follow-up to assess the impact of public health strategies.

Source: Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry - February 23, 2016 Category: Psychiatry Authors: Chambers, G. M., Randall, S., Hoang, V. P., Sullivan, E. A., Highet, N., Croft, M., Mihalopoulos, C., Morgan, V. A., Reilly, N., Austin, M.-P. Tags: Research Source Type: research