SYDNEY, Aug. 26 (Xinhua) -- In Australia's vast outback, many remote communities rely on long distance support networks such as the Royal Flying Doctors Service (RFDS) to provide help in times of need.
However, an internal study released on Monday has found that a lack of adequate local mental health treatment options means that many patients are seeking help only in a crisis, placing additional burden on the flying doctors' limited resources.
The study showed that although there was little difference in the prevalence of mental illness between the city and regional communities, poor service access, distance, cost and reluctance to seek help, contributed to higher mental illness acuity and suicide rates.
"Mental and behavioural disorders are an important problem in rural and remote communities, and acute presentations trigger a considerable number of RFDS retrievals," the report said.
Between July 1, 2014 and June 30, 2017 just over 2000 patients were retrieved by the RFDS for mental health disorders, the most common of which were schizophrenia, bipolar and depression.
One of the standout figures was the unusually high rate of bipolar disorder being diagnosed in children under the age of 14.
"This may reflect confusion of the symptoms of bipolar affective disorder with the acute behavioural manifestations of attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, conduct disorder, learning disorders, pervasive developmental disorders, and unipolar depressive disorders," the report said.
Australia's flying doctors have been servicing remote communities for over 100 years, largely relying on funding from the public to continue to operate as a lifeline to those in need.
