College Affairs
Community Survey 2014 The Public Relations agency Haystac has been engaged by the College to develop and deliver a six-month proactive media outreach programme to increase understanding and awareness of psychiatry within the general community. The first activity of the programme was the RANZCP Community Survey 2014. The College worked with Haystac to commission a survey to determine the community’s level of knowledge about psychiatry in Australia and New Zealand. The objective of the activity was to use the results of the survey to identify a newsworthy angle to generate coverage in mainstream media that highlights and corrects any misunderstandings and misinformation about psychiatry. Haystac contracted research provider Pure Profile to survey 1000 Australians and 500 New Zealanders aged over 18. The survey asked respondents to nominate what action they would take if experiencing mental health symptoms including anxiety, severe depression and suicidal thoughts. It also sought out their knowledge of the training and services of both psychiatrists and psychologists. Summary of key findings in Australia •• When experiencing mental illness, baby boomers are twice as likely as 18–24 year olds to rely on their GP over any other type of mental health professional or social support. •• Australians over the age of 45 are also more likely than young people to attend hospital for a mental health emergency rather than request a referral to a psychiatric specialist. •• Less than half (38%) of Australians surveyed understand they are eligible for a Medicare rebate when seeing a psychiatrist.
•• More than one-third of the population is unaware that psychiatrists can prescribe medication.
•• Half the New Zealand population is unaware they need a referral from a GP to see a psychiatrist.
•• Around one in four Australians incorrectly thinks a psychologist can prescribe medication.
•• Almost half the population (46%) is unaware that psychiatrists can prescribe medication and 27% inaccurately think psychologists can prescribe medication.
•• More than half of Australians (56%) are unaware that psychiatrists have undertaken medical training as a doctor, and 15% of the community incorrectly thinks a psychologist has medical training. •• While the majority of Australians are speaking to their GPs as the first line of treatment for anxiety and depression, GPs are not necessarily proactively asking their patients about their mental health status. For two-thirds of respondents (65%), their GP had never enquired about their mental health. Even for those with a history of mental illness, the enquiry rate did not significantly increase: only half of surveyed Australians with a history of mental illness had had their GP enquire about their mental health. Summary of key findings in New Zealand •• Baby boomers are twice as likely as younger New Zealanders to seek treatment for anxiety and depression from their GP. For those aged 45–54, 62% would see a GP for anxiety (31% of 18–24 year olds) and 70% would see a GP for severe depression (35% of 18–24 year olds). •• Baby boomers are twice as likely as younger New Zealanders to seek treatment for suicidal thoughts or self-harm from their GP or a hospital. For those aged 55–64, 38% would see a GP (16% of 18–24 year olds), 35% would go to hospital (17% of 18–24 year olds) and only 5% would see a psychiatrist (23% of 18–24 year olds).
•• Nearly two-thirds of the population (62%) is unaware that psychiatrists have undertaken medical training. •• Interestingly, while the younger age group is more aware of appropriate treatment options, they are less informed about the specifics of each health professional’s role. The 18–24 year old cohort had the lowest level of awareness about the need for a referral to see a psychiatrist (37% compared with 67% of 55–64 year olds), the fact that psychiatrists can prescribe medication (42% compared with 63% of 55– 64 year olds) and the fact that psychiatrists have undertaken medical training (35% compared with 52% of 55–64 year olds). •• While the majority of New Zealanders are speaking to their GPs as the first line of treatment for anxiety and depression, GPs are not necessarily proactively asking their patients about their mental health status. For more than half of respondents (58%), their GP had never enquired about their mental health. The media outreach in Australia achieved good results, particularly the hard news angle. The media coverage generated some slight controversy within the GP audience, with some GPs taking issue with some of the statements in the media release, and in the Radio National interview. However, this was a minor issue and one that did not negate the overall positive effect of the media coverage.
419 Downloaded from apy.sagepub.com at UNIV OF PITTSBURGH on March 30, 2015
Community Survey 2014 The Public Relations agency Haystac has been engaged by the College to develop and deliver a six-month proactive media outreach programme to increase understanding and awareness of psychiatry within the general community. The first activity of the programme was the RANZCP Community Survey 2014. The College worked with Haystac to commission a survey to determine the community’s level of knowledge about psychiatry in Australia and New Zealand. The objective of the activity was to use the results of the survey to identify a newsworthy angle to generate coverage in mainstream media that highlights and corrects any misunderstandings and misinformation about psychiatry. Haystac contracted research provider Pure Profile to survey 1000 Australians and 500 New Zealanders aged over 18. The survey asked respondents to nominate what action they would take if experiencing mental health symptoms including anxiety, severe depression and suicidal thoughts. It also sought out their knowledge of the training and services of both psychiatrists and psychologists. Summary of key findings in Australia •• When experiencing mental illness, baby boomers are twice as likely as 18–24 year olds to rely on their GP over any other type of mental health professional or social support. •• Australians over the age of 45 are also more likely than young people to attend hospital for a mental health emergency rather than request a referral to a psychiatric specialist. •• Less than half (38%) of Australians surveyed understand they are eligible for a Medicare rebate when seeing a psychiatrist.
•• More than one-third of the population is unaware that psychiatrists can prescribe medication.
•• Half the New Zealand population is unaware they need a referral from a GP to see a psychiatrist.
•• Around one in four Australians incorrectly thinks a psychologist can prescribe medication.
•• Almost half the population (46%) is unaware that psychiatrists can prescribe medication and 27% inaccurately think psychologists can prescribe medication.
•• More than half of Australians (56%) are unaware that psychiatrists have undertaken medical training as a doctor, and 15% of the community incorrectly thinks a psychologist has medical training. •• While the majority of Australians are speaking to their GPs as the first line of treatment for anxiety and depression, GPs are not necessarily proactively asking their patients about their mental health status. For two-thirds of respondents (65%), their GP had never enquired about their mental health. Even for those with a history of mental illness, the enquiry rate did not significantly increase: only half of surveyed Australians with a history of mental illness had had their GP enquire about their mental health. Summary of key findings in New Zealand •• Baby boomers are twice as likely as younger New Zealanders to seek treatment for anxiety and depression from their GP. For those aged 45–54, 62% would see a GP for anxiety (31% of 18–24 year olds) and 70% would see a GP for severe depression (35% of 18–24 year olds). •• Baby boomers are twice as likely as younger New Zealanders to seek treatment for suicidal thoughts or self-harm from their GP or a hospital. For those aged 55–64, 38% would see a GP (16% of 18–24 year olds), 35% would go to hospital (17% of 18–24 year olds) and only 5% would see a psychiatrist (23% of 18–24 year olds).
•• Nearly two-thirds of the population (62%) is unaware that psychiatrists have undertaken medical training. •• Interestingly, while the younger age group is more aware of appropriate treatment options, they are less informed about the specifics of each health professional’s role. The 18–24 year old cohort had the lowest level of awareness about the need for a referral to see a psychiatrist (37% compared with 67% of 55–64 year olds), the fact that psychiatrists can prescribe medication (42% compared with 63% of 55– 64 year olds) and the fact that psychiatrists have undertaken medical training (35% compared with 52% of 55–64 year olds). •• While the majority of New Zealanders are speaking to their GPs as the first line of treatment for anxiety and depression, GPs are not necessarily proactively asking their patients about their mental health status. For more than half of respondents (58%), their GP had never enquired about their mental health. The media outreach in Australia achieved good results, particularly the hard news angle. The media coverage generated some slight controversy within the GP audience, with some GPs taking issue with some of the statements in the media release, and in the Radio National interview. However, this was a minor issue and one that did not negate the overall positive effect of the media coverage.
419 Downloaded from apy.sagepub.com at UNIV OF PITTSBURGH on March 30, 2015
