> Resources and Publications > PHC RIS infonet > February 2008 > Better outcomes in mental health care

Better outcomes in mental health care: access to allied psychological services evaluation update

Since the inception of the Better Outcomes in Mental Health Care (BOiMHC) program in 2001, its Access to Allied Psychological Services (ATAPS) component has been evaluated by The University of Melbourne's, Centre for Health Policy, Programs and Economics (formerly the Program Evaluation Unit). As part of this evaluation, a series of Evaluation Interim Reports has been produced and are available on-line at <http://boimhc.org/bin/view>.

The latest evaluation data demonstrates that the ATAPS projects have gained considerable momentum over time. Collectively, they have attracted over 6,000 GPs, over 2,000 allied health professionals (mainly psychologists), and over 63,000 consumers.

Overall, the profile of consumers has remained consistent over time and is well aligned with the target group that the projects are designed to reach: they are typically female, are aged around 40, are on low incomes, have no previous history of mental health care, and have been diagnosed with depression or anxiety disorders.

The total number of sessions provided to these consumers is 306,419 (188,179 urban; 118,240 rural), with a current average of five sessions per consumer. Overall, the profile of these sessions has not changed over time in either urban or rural areas, with the majority being individually-based, an hour in length, and consisting of cognitive and behavioural therapies.

The ATAPS projects appear to have become a crucial part of the mental health care landscape in Australia, and there continues to be a high demand for their services despite alternative avenues of service provision having been made available. This may reflect the fact that there was an excess demand for psychological services that could not be met by the projects, which is now being addressed, at least to some extent, by psychological services delivered through the Better Access program.

Perhaps one of the reasons for the ongoing high demand for services provided through the ATAPS projects is the sound evidence that the projects are receiving positive results for consumers, in terms of alleviating symptoms, improving levels of functioning, and impacting on general wellbeing. They are reaching more and more people who may previously have had difficulty accessing services, and are providing high quality care in a consistent fashion. Most significantly, they are achieving their desired results.

Please remember that support is available for any query regarding the evaluation of ATAPS and the MBS.
E: support@boimhc.org