Lee Martinez

Barriers to collaboration in mental health services for older people: external agency views

The need for mental health services for older people living in rural areas is increasing in South Australia. Providing such care requires coordination between several types of services across government, hospital and non-government sectors. The purpose of this study was to identify barriers to collaboration from the perspective of external aged care agencies. A total of 42 responses from an online survey were qualitatively analysed. Four categories emerged, within which participants had identified barriers to collaboration: (1) awareness of services and certainty about responsibilities, in particular, a lack of awareness of which services are available; (2) referral criteria and processes, including the specific criteria needed to be eligible for these services; (3) opportunities to collaborate, with a perceived lack of formal opportunities for collaboration between individuals working across agencies; and (4) education of staff, with more joint education between agencies being recognised as having the potential to increase local knowledge and provide an opportunity for networking and relationship building, with greatest barriers experienced between mental health and social care services.

Meeting unmet needs? The role of a rural mental health service for older people

Abstract Background: Rural and remote residents have been identifi ed as a group with limited access to mental health services. Older rural people may experience additional problems due to lack of access to transport, limited opportunities for social engagement and the stigma attached to mental illness. Aim: To explore the extent to which service providers, carers and consumers view the Older Persons’ Mental Health Service (OPMHS) as meeting the needs of older people with mental health problems in rural South Australia. Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted at 3 case study sites with 22 key informants from mental health teams and organisations providing care to older people and with 4 consumers and 5 carers. Results: The establishment of OPMHS clinicians at the sites studied led to increased access to specialist services for older people leading to earlier assessment and treatment of consumers. It has also led to greater service integration and knowledge sharing about older persons’ mental health. Participants identify ongoing service needs particularly for remote, CALD and Aboriginal populations and for after-hours crisis care. Conclusion: The localization of services and attachment of specialist older persons’ clinicians to rural mental health teams has enhanced service delivery for older people through enabling case management within rural communities. There are however, ongoing service needs which need to be resolved.

Voices from the Field: Regional Nurses Speak About Motivations, Careers and How to Entice Others to Pursue Mental Health Nursing

Abstract The aims of this study are three-fold: determine the factors that motivate nurses to pursue mental health nursing; identify the strategies that might attract nursing students and practising nurses to pursue mental health nursing as a professional career; and identify the difficulties of nurses in achieving their preferred clinical specialty. A descriptive qualitative study design with semi-structured interviews was used. Fifteen mental health nurses from rural and regional South Australia were interviewed. Interviews were transcribed verbatim, and thematic analysis was undertaken. Of the fifteen participants, thirteen were females and two were males; their average age was 50 years. The factors that motivated the participants to pursue mental health nursing were categorized as intrinsic and extrinsic. There were many strategies that might attract nursing students and nurses to the field, but the most popular suggestion was the provision of high quality meaningful clinical placements. Other strategies were to convey the personal satisfaction derived from being a mental health nurse, promote mental health nursing aggressively, and provide employment incentives. The study also highlighted the importance of addressing stigma, and greater education and support for nurses to pursue a mental health career.