The British Journal of Psychiatry (2004) 185: 486-493
© 2004 The Royal College of Psychiatrists

Socio-economic differentials in mental disorders and suicide attempts in
Australia
Richard Taylor, MBBS, DTM&H, FAFPHM, PhD, Andrew Page, BA (Psyc) Hons and
Stephen Morrell, BSc, BA, PhD
School of Public Health, University of Sydney, New South Wales

Greg Carter, MBBS, FRANZCP

Certificate in Child Psychiatry, Newcastle Mater Hospital and Faculty of
Health, University of Newcastle, New South Wales

James Harrison, MBBS, MPH, FAFPHM

Research Centre for Injury Studies, Flinders University, Bedford Park,
South Australia, Australia

Correspondence: Professor Richard Taylor, School of Public Health, Edward
Ford Building, A27, University of Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia. Tel: +61 2
9351 5996, +61 2 9351 7420; e-mail: [log in to unmask]

http://bjp.rcpsych.org/cgi/content/abstract/185/6/486

Background Responses to mental disorders usually focus on treatment;
socio-economic conditions are less likely to be considered.

Aims To examine social determinants of mental disorders and attempted
suicide in Australia.

Method Data from the 1997 Australian National Survey of Mental Health and
Wellbeing (n=10 641) were used to estimate associations between
socio-economic status, mental disorders and attempted suicide. Logistic
regression was used to adjust for age, urban/rural residence and country of
birth. Socio-economic status differentials in suicide attempts were also
adjusted for mental disorders.

Results Significant increasing gradients from high to low levels of
education and occupational status (employed) were evident for affective
disorders and anxiety disorders in both men and women and for substance use
disorders in men. Similar gradients were found for suicide attempts, which
decreased after adjusting for mental disorders, but remained significant in
the working-age employed.

Conclusions These findings suggest social causation of mental disorders and
suicide attempts, and the need for social and economic responses beyond
provision of mental health services.

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