Lack of diagnosis and treatment of mental disorders may explain Australia's high rural suicide rates

Embargoed until: Publicly released: 2021-07-22 04:00

Australia; NSW

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Higher suicide rates in rural areas, which increase with remoteness, may be down to decreasing diagnosis and treatment of mental disorders, particularly in men, according to new research. The study found that the rural suicide rate was 11 per cent higher than the national Australian rate and that it increased with remoteness. They found that reported diagnoses of mental illness decreased with remoteness, as did treatment for mental illness, particularly among men.