People with government disability supports
Introduction
These first findings focus on mental health care in hospital for people with disability who receive a range of different government disability supports. This group is referred to as ‘people with government disability supports’. This is the first community-endorsed way of representing people with disability in government data using the National Disability Data Asset (NDDA). You can read more about What is the NDDA? and How people with disability are represented.
It is important to remember that around 75% of people with disability do not access government disability supports.
The results for people who receive specific disability supports, including National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) participants, people receiving the Disability Support Pension (DSP), and NDIS participants also receiving the DSP, are explored in other chapters of this report.
People with disability often have poorer mental health and face unique barriers to accessing support. This may be especially relevant for people with intellectual or psychosocial disability, although the data in this report cannot identify specific disability types. Some people with psychosocial disability are eligible for government disability supports. As a result, higher rates of hospital care for mental health may be observed in NDIS participants or those receiving the DSP compared with people with no government disability supports.
There is limited research about hospital-based mental health care for people receiving different disability supports.
This includes:
NDIS participants, particularly those with psychosocial disability, can face specific barriers to accessing mental health services. Many of these barriers arise from how the NDIS interacts with the broader health system.
System fragmentation is a key issue. The NDIS funds nonclinical, functional supports, while clinical mental health care is provided through the health system. Reviews and inquiries have found that poor coordination between these systems can lead to gaps in care, duplication, or people falling between services – especially during transitions such as hospital discharge or changes in mental health status (NDIS Review, 2023; National Disability Insurance Agency, n.d.).
Eligibility and planning processes can also limit access. Psychosocial disability is often poorly understood in NDIS access and planning, particularly its episodic and fluctuating nature. As a result, plans may not respond well to periods of mental health deterioration, reducing access to support when it is most needed (Mind Australia, 2025; Parliament of Australia, 2017).
There are also practical barriers, including:
- reliance on digital systems
- complex administrative processes
- difficulties engaging with planning or review processes during periods of acute mental ill health.
Parliamentary inquiries have identified digital literacy requirements and online portals as significant barriers for people with psychosocial disability (Parliament of Australia, 2017).
Some NDIS participants with psychosocial disability also use emergency departments (ED) during periods of crisis, particularly when other supports are insufficient. Qualitative studies describe ED presentations as part of crisis help-seeking and highlight poor communication between EDs and NDIS related supports as a barrier to continuity of care (McIntyre et al., 2023; McIntyre et al., 2024).
DSP recipients’ access to mental health services is often shaped more by income adequacy and eligibility rules rather than by service availability.
Evidence from peak bodies and cohort studies shows that DSP recipients with psychiatric impairments are more likely to experience financial stress. This can limit their ability to afford:
- gap fees
- transport
- private psychology or psychiatry
- ongoing, continuous care.
Even when subsidised services are available, out of pocket costs remain a barrier (Mental Health Australia, n.d.; Milner et al., 2020).
Access to the DSP itself can also affect mental health care. DSP eligibility requirements often involve substantial medical evidence and specialist assessments. These can be difficult to obtain, particularly for people experiencing mental illness, living in rural or remote areas, or functioning at a low level at the time. Delays in accessing income support can destabilise access to treatment (Flood, 2025; Economic Justice Australia, 2023).
Some DSP recipients who do not qualify for the NDIS rely on time limited or regionally variable programs, such as Primary Health Network-commissioned psychosocial supports. Reviews have found that the availability and consistency of these services vary widely, leading to uneven access across locations (NDIS Review, 2023).
There is limited publicly available evidence directly linking DSP receipt to mental health-related ED use. However, national reporting shows that EDs are a common point of contact for mental health care, particularly after hours or when other services are unavailable (AIHW, 2026). Given the higher prevalence of psychiatric conditions among DSP recipients and the financial barriers they face, ED use may occur when needs escalate or alternative care is not accessible. More subgroup specific evidence is still needed.
People who receive both NDIS and DSP supports often experience greater system complexity. They must navigate multiple systems with different rules, assessments, and accountability arrangements. This can increase administrative burden and may reduce continuity of mental health care (Parliament of Australia, 2017; NDIS Review, 2023).
This group is also more likely to have higher or more complex support needs, involving both functional impairment and ongoing mental health conditions. Reviews of psychosocial disability supports indicate that these individuals are particularly affected when responsibilities for crisis care, treatment, and recovery‑oriented supports are poorly aligned between the NDIS and health systems (NDIS Review, 2023).
Socioeconomic disadvantage may further compound barriers. People receiving both income support and disability-specific supports may face greater challenges related to transport, housing instability, and the affordability of care, all of which influence access to mental health services (Milner et al., 2020).
There is little direct evidence on ED use among people who receive both NDIS and DSP supports. Qualitative evidence from NDIS participants with psychosocial disability suggests that ED presentations can occur during crises and that poor integration between disability and health systems can negatively affect ED experiences and follow‑up care (McIntyre et al., 2023; McIntyre et al., 2024). More targeted analysis would be needed to quantify ED use for this group.
Key findings
In 2022–23:
- people with government disability supports had a rate of ED presentations for mental health care 9.3 times as high as people with no government disability supports after adjusting for age
- the proportion of people with government disability supports arriving at the ED by police or correctional services vehicle was almost twice as high as people with no government disability supports
- people with government disability supports were almost 7 times as likely to have had at least one hospitalisation for mental health care as people with no government disability supports
- the rate of hospitalisations for mental health care for people with government disability supports was 10.8 times as high as people with no government disability supports after adjusting for age
- around 3 in 5 (63%) hospitalisations for mental health care for people with government disability supports took place in specialist psychiatric units, compared with 2 in 5 (44%) for people with no government disability supports.
Did you know?
Avoiding hospitalisation for mental health does not mean a person’s mental health is better.
‘If you're not turning up in the [administrative] data, we could identify that as a protective factor. But actually, underlying this are a combination of reasons with both protective factors and inability to access support, but trying to distinguish protective factors from inability [to] access [support] is an additional step.’
Reflection from inclusive research team member
Emergency department care
In 2022–23, around 3 in 100 (3.1% or 34,700) people with government disability supports had at least one mental health-related ED presentation, compared with less than 1% of people with no government disability supports.
‘People seek mental health-related services in EDs for a variety of reasons, often as an initial point of contact or for after-hours care, for crisis support or being unable to access support through other means.’
Peta Marks, mental health nurse
Recorded in Mental Health in Emergency Care (Marks 2022)
In 2022–23, the rate of ED presentations for mental health care was 9.3 times as high for people with government disability supports compared with people with no government disability supports after adjusting for age; the unadjusted rate shown in Figure 1 was 8.1 times as high during this period.
Presentation rates have been relatively stable in recent years, although people with government disability supports experienced a sharper reduction in 2021–22 than people with no government disability supports, coinciding with the COVID‑19 pandemic.
‘For people who had contact with a GP for mental health issue or had a [mental health care] plan, the GP will suggest going to ED if something happens. So people who are actively seeking support for mental health reasons might actually use ED more. It's not falling through the cracks, it's following your doctor's orders.’
Reflection from inclusive research team member
Figure 1: Rate of ED presentations with a mental health diagnosis per 100,000 people with government disability supports compared with people with no government disability supports, 2018–19 to 2022–23
Line chart showing rate of ED presentations for mental health care.
| Financial.year.of.presentation | People with government disability supports | People with no government disability supports |
|---|---|---|
| 2018–19 | 6,400 | 780 |
| 2019–20 | 6,600 | 790 |
| 2020–21 | 6,200 | 800 |
| 2021–22 | 5,600 | 730 |
| 2022–23 | 5,800 | 720 |
- Data for these measures were accessed from the National Health Data Hub (NHDH). Emergency department (ED) data are from the non-admitted patient emergency department care national minimum data set (NAPEDC NMDS), accessed via the NHDH. For more information, see Data source – National Health Data Hub
- “People with government disability supports” includes people represented by the National Disability Data Asset disability flags. The flags do not represent all people with disability. The “people with no government disability supports” group includes people with disability who do not receive these supports, as well as people without disability. For more information, see Data source – National Health Data Hub.
- Disability type cannot currently be identified using the NDDA disability flags used for this analysis.
- Observed patterns may partly reflect differences in the age, sex and disability-type composition of comparison groups.
- An ED presentation begins when a patient arrives at the ED and is registered or triaged. Only presentations to public hospital EDs are included.
- Mental health-related ED presentations are defined as presentations with a principal diagnosis of Mental and behavioural disorders. Presentations coded for self-harm or poisoning are not included.
- ED data and populations for Western Australia and the Northern Territory are excluded due to data availability.
- States and territories are primarily responsible for the quality of the data they provide. The AIHW validates data on receipt and queries potential errors with jurisdictions; corrections and resubmissions may occur. Unless stated otherwise, the AIHW does not adjust data for possible errors or missing values.
- Rates are expressed as events per 100,000 population. Crude rates are calculated using the sum of resident populations at 30 June of the previous financial year, estimated from NHDH data.
- Time series comparisons should be interpreted with caution. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic was beyond the scope of this analysis, and trends may also be affected by the rollout of the NDIS, which may initially have included people with more severe mental health conditions.
- Disability Support Pension recipients who become eligible for the Age Pension at age 67 may transfer to that pension. Those who transfer are not included in this report.
Source:
AIHW NHDH 2018–23, analysis of NHDH
|
Data source overview
In 2022–23, the most common modes of arrival for mental health‑related ED presentations were ambulance, air ambulance or helicopter rescue. Around 3 in 5 (56%) people with government disability supports arrived this way, which was similar to the proportion for people with no government disability supports (53%).
Arrival by police or correctional services vehicles was the least common mode. One in 10 (10%) people with government disability supports arrived this way, which was 1.7 times as high as the proportion for people with no government disability supports (6.1%).
‘People may arrive at the ED by police vehicle, not because they’re in custody but because police were the first responder when someone needs urgent mental health care, or the person is unable to provide consent to be transported by other means.’
Reflection from inclusive research team member
Figure 2: Arrival mode to the ED for mental health care for people with government disability supports compared with people with no government disability supports, 2022–23
Grouped bar chart showing proportion of ED presentations for mental health care with arrival by ambulance/air ambulance/helicopter rescue service, police/correctional vehicles and other.
| Arrival mode to ED | People with government disability supports | People with no government disability supports |
|---|---|---|
| Ambulance, air ambulance or helicopter rescue service | 56% | 53% |
| Police/correctional services vehicle | 10% | 6.1% |
| Other | 34% | 41% |
- Data for these measures were accessed from the National Health Data Hub (NHDH). Emergency department (ED) data are from the non-admitted patient emergency department care national minimum data set (NAPEDC NMDS), accessed via the NHDH. For more information, see Data source – National Health Data Hub
- “People with government disability supports” includes people represented by the National Disability Data Asset disability flags. The flags do not represent all people with disability. The “people with no government disability supports” group includes people with disability who do not receive these supports, as well as people without disability. For more information, see Data source – National Health Data Hub.
- Disability type cannot currently be identified using the NDDA disability flags used for this analysis.
- Observed patterns may partly reflect differences in the age, sex and disability-type composition of comparison groups.
- An ED presentation begins when a patient arrives at the ED and is registered or triaged. Only presentations to public hospital EDs are included.
- Mental health-related ED presentations are defined as presentations with a principal diagnosis of Mental and behavioural disorders. Presentations coded for self-harm or poisoning are not included.
- ED data and populations for Western Australia and the Northern Territory are excluded due to data availability.
- States and territories are primarily responsible for the quality of the data they provide. The AIHW validates data on receipt and queries potential errors with jurisdictions; corrections and resubmissions may occur. Unless stated otherwise, the AIHW does not adjust data for possible errors or missing values.
- Rates are expressed as events per 100,000 population. Crude rates are calculated using the sum of resident populations at 30 June of the previous financial year, estimated from NHDH data.
- Time series comparisons should be interpreted with caution. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic was beyond the scope of this analysis, and trends may also be affected by the rollout of the NDIS, which may initially have included people with more severe mental health conditions.
- Disability Support Pension recipients who become eligible for the Age Pension at age 67 may transfer to that pension. Those who transfer are not included in this report.
Arriving at the ED by police or correctional vehicle does not mean a person had done anything wrong. It may reflect the support available at the time, including which service was able to help the person get to hospital.
‘Other’ includes walking, private transport, public transport, community transport and taxi.
Source:
AIHW NHDH 2018–23, analysis of NHDH
|
Data source overview
An ED presentation begins when a patient is registered or triaged. Triage is the process where a health professional assigns one of 5 urgency categories (or 'triage categories') based on a person’s medical care needs.
In 2022–23, around 1 in 5 (22%) mental health-related ED presentations for people with government disability supports were triaged as resuscitation or emergency, the two most urgent categories. This was similar for people with no government disability supports (21%).
Figure 3: Triage category at presentation to the ED for mental health care for people with government disability supports compared with people with no government disability supports, 2022–23
Grouped bar chart showing proportion of patients assigned each triage category when presenting to the ED for mental health care
| Triage category | People with government disability supports | People with no government disability supports |
|---|---|---|
| Resuscitation | 1.2% | 1.8% |
| Emergency | 21% | 19% |
| Urgent | 53% | 52% |
| Semi-urgent | 21% | 24% |
| Non-urgent | 3.6% | 2.9% |
- Data for these measures were accessed from the National Health Data Hub (NHDH). Emergency department (ED) data are from the non-admitted patient emergency department care national minimum data set (NAPEDC NMDS), accessed via the NHDH. For more information, see Data source – National Health Data Hub
- “People with government disability supports” includes people represented by the National Disability Data Asset disability flags. The flags do not represent all people with disability. The “people with no government disability supports” group includes people with disability who do not receive these supports, as well as people without disability. For more information, see Data source – National Health Data Hub.
- Disability type cannot currently be identified using the NDDA disability flags used for this analysis.
- Observed patterns may partly reflect differences in the age, sex and disability-type composition of comparison groups.
- An ED presentation begins when a patient arrives at the ED and is registered or triaged. Only presentations to public hospital EDs are included.
- Mental health-related ED presentations are defined as presentations with a principal diagnosis of Mental and behavioural disorders. Presentations coded for self-harm or poisoning are not included.
- ED data and populations for Western Australia and the Northern Territory are excluded due to data availability.
- States and territories are primarily responsible for the quality of the data they provide. The AIHW validates data on receipt and queries potential errors with jurisdictions; corrections and resubmissions may occur. Unless stated otherwise, the AIHW does not adjust data for possible errors or missing values.
- Rates are expressed as events per 100,000 population. Crude rates are calculated using the sum of resident populations at 30 June of the previous financial year, estimated from NHDH data.
- Time series comparisons should be interpreted with caution. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic was beyond the scope of this analysis, and trends may also be affected by the rollout of the NDIS, which may initially have included people with more severe mental health conditions.
- Disability Support Pension recipients who become eligible for the Age Pension at age 67 may transfer to that pension. Those who transfer are not included in this report.
Refer to Glossary for definition of triage categories
Source:
AIHW NHDH 2018–23, analysis of NHDH
|
Data source overview
The episode end status describes the outcome of a patient’s ED presentation, including whether they were subsequently admitted or referred to another hospital.
For people with government disability supports in 2022–23:
- around 2 in 5 (38%) mental health presentations at the ED resulted in hospital admission for further care
- around 1 in 2 (51%) mental health presentations at the ED were completed without admission or referral to another hospital.
These proportions were similar for people with no government disability supports (38% admitted; 54% completed without admission or referral to another hospital).
‘Often we see people at breaking point without adequate community-based supports, and so they've been told your only option to actually get any traction here is to turn up at ED. They might have a psychiatric reason to turn up to ED but there’s a lot of other things going on.’
Reflection from inclusive research team member
Figure 4: End status of presentations to the ED for mental health care for people with government disability supports compared with people with no government disability supports, 2022–23
Grouped bar chart showing proportion of patients with each end status at the conclusion of an ED presentation for mental health care.
| End status of ED presentation | People with government disability supports | People with no government disability supports |
|---|---|---|
| Hospitalised at completion of ED presentation | 38% | 38% |
| ED presentation completed without hospitalisation or referral | 51% | 54% |
| Referred to another hospital at completion of ED presentation | 5.1% | 3.3% |
| Did not wait to be seen by health care professional | 0.78% | 0.59% |
| Left at own risk after being seen by a health care professional, but before treatment or care was finished | 4.2% | 3.1% |
| Registered, advised of another health service, left ED without being seen by health care professional | 1.2% | 0.93% |
| Died in emergency department | 0.019% |
- Data for these measures were accessed from the National Health Data Hub (NHDH). Emergency department (ED) data are from the non-admitted patient emergency department care national minimum data set (NAPEDC NMDS), accessed via the NHDH. For more information, see Data source – National Health Data Hub
- “People with government disability supports” includes people represented by the National Disability Data Asset disability flags. The flags do not represent all people with disability. The “people with no government disability supports” group includes people with disability who do not receive these supports, as well as people without disability. For more information, see Data source – National Health Data Hub.
- Disability type cannot currently be identified using the NDDA disability flags used for this analysis.
- Observed patterns may partly reflect differences in the age, sex and disability-type composition of comparison groups.
- An ED presentation begins when a patient arrives at the ED and is registered or triaged. Only presentations to public hospital EDs are included.
- Mental health-related ED presentations are defined as presentations with a principal diagnosis of Mental and behavioural disorders. Presentations coded for self-harm or poisoning are not included.
- ED data and populations for Western Australia and the Northern Territory are excluded due to data availability.
- States and territories are primarily responsible for the quality of the data they provide. The AIHW validates data on receipt and queries potential errors with jurisdictions; corrections and resubmissions may occur. Unless stated otherwise, the AIHW does not adjust data for possible errors or missing values.
- Rates are expressed as events per 100,000 population. Crude rates are calculated using the sum of resident populations at 30 June of the previous financial year, estimated from NHDH data.
- Time series comparisons should be interpreted with caution. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic was beyond the scope of this analysis, and trends may also be affected by the rollout of the NDIS, which may initially have included people with more severe mental health conditions.
- Disability Support Pension recipients who become eligible for the Age Pension at age 67 may transfer to that pension. Those who transfer are not included in this report.
Source:
AIHW NHDH 2018–23, analysis of NHDH
|
Data source overview
Did you know?
Even if the reason someone comes to hospital is because of their mental health, their hospital presentation may not be recognised and captured in the system as a mental health-related presentation. This can also mean the appropriate supports are not provided in hospital or set up for when the person is discharged.
‘Sometimes for people with intellectual disability people don't know whether it is mental health concerns, or something they could not communicate. Their admission reason to mental health facilities has been listed as intellectual disability.’
Reflection from inclusive research team member
‘If someone's admitted for another reason other than the psychiatric condition, then they have to be discharged for that reason as well. So again, it gets glossed over or not discussed in discharge notes because the mental health issue is not why they were admitted. Even though we know that's why they were admitted.’
Reflection from inclusive research team member
Hospitalisations
In 2022–23, around 31,010 people with government disability supports were admitted to public hospitals for mental health care, accounting for 65,230 hospitalisations. People could be admitted more than once. The number of people with government disability supports admitted for mental health care has been relatively steady in recent years, despite a slight decrease in 2021–22.
Figure 5: Number of people with government disability supports who were hospitalised for mental health care, 2018–19 to 2022–23
Line chart showing number of people who were hospitalised for mental health care.
| Financial.year.of.admission | Number of admitted mental health patients |
|---|---|
| 2018–19 | 30380 |
| 2019–20 | 30510 |
| 2020–21 | 31020 |
| 2021–22 | 29340 |
| 2022–23 | 31010 |
- Data for these measures were accessed from the National Health Data Hub (NHDH). Admitted patient care data was sourced from the National Hospital Morbidity Database (NHMD) accessed via the NHDH. The NHMD contains the Admitted Patient Care National Minimum Data Set. For more information, see Data source – National Health Data Hub
- “People with government disability supports” includes people represented by the National Disability Data Asset disability flags. The flags do not represent all people with disability. The “people with no government disability supports” group includes people with disability who do not receive these supports, as well as people without disability. For more information, see Data source – National Health Data Hub.
- Disability type cannot currently be identified using the NDDA disability flags used for this analysis.
- Observed patterns may partly reflect differences in the age, sex and disability-type composition of comparison groups.
- Admitted patients are people who undergo a formal admission process in a public hospital to receive treatment and/or care.
- A hospitalisation is mental health-related if: it had a mental health-related principal diagnosis which, for admitted patient care, is defined as a principal diagnosis that is either a diagnosis that falls within the section on Mental and behavioural disorders (Chapter 5) in the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, 12th revision, Australian Modification (ICD-10-AM) classification (codes F00–F99) or a number of other selected diagnoses (refer to the Classification Codes section for the full list of applicable diagnoses codes and exclusions), or it included any specialised psychiatric care.
- Data and populations for Western Australia and the Northern Territory are excluded due to data availability.
- States and territories are primarily responsible for the quality of the data they provide. The AIHW validates data on receipt and queries potential errors with jurisdictions; corrections and resubmissions may occur. Unless stated otherwise, the AIHW does not adjust data for possible errors or missing values.
- Rates are expressed as events per 100,000 population. Crude rates are calculated using the sum of resident populations at 30 June of the previous financial year, estimated from NHDH data.
- Time series comparisons should be interpreted with caution. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic was beyond the scope of this analysis, and trends may also be affected by the rollout of the NDIS, which may initially have included people with more severe mental health conditions.
- Disability Support Pension recipients who become eligible for the Age Pension at age 67 may transfer to that pension. Those who transfer are not included in this report.
Source:
AIHW NHDH 2018–23, analysis of NHDH
|
Data source overview
Figure 6: Number of hospitalisations for mental health care for people with government disability supports, 2018–19 to 2022–23
Line chart showing number of hospitalisations for mental health care.
| Financial.year.of.admission | Number of mental health episodes |
|---|---|
| 2018–19 | 65290 |
| 2019–20 | 65800 |
| 2020–21 | 65500 |
| 2021–22 | 61670 |
| 2022–23 | 65230 |
- Data for these measures were accessed from the National Health Data Hub (NHDH). Admitted patient care data was sourced from the National Hospital Morbidity Database (NHMD) accessed via the NHDH. The NHMD contains the Admitted Patient Care National Minimum Data Set. For more information, see Data source – National Health Data Hub
- “People with government disability supports” includes people represented by the National Disability Data Asset disability flags. The flags do not represent all people with disability. The “people with no government disability supports” group includes people with disability who do not receive these supports, as well as people without disability. For more information, see Data source – National Health Data Hub.
- Disability type cannot currently be identified using the NDDA disability flags used for this analysis.
- Observed patterns may partly reflect differences in the age, sex and disability-type composition of comparison groups.
- Admitted patients are people who undergo a formal admission process in a public hospital to receive treatment and/or care.
- A hospitalisation is mental health-related if: it had a mental health-related principal diagnosis which, for admitted patient care, is defined as a principal diagnosis that is either a diagnosis that falls within the section on Mental and behavioural disorders (Chapter 5) in the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, 12th revision, Australian Modification (ICD-10-AM) classification (codes F00–F99) or a number of other selected diagnoses (refer to the Classification Codes section for the full list of applicable diagnoses codes and exclusions), or it included any specialised psychiatric care.
- Data and populations for Western Australia and the Northern Territory are excluded due to data availability.
- States and territories are primarily responsible for the quality of the data they provide. The AIHW validates data on receipt and queries potential errors with jurisdictions; corrections and resubmissions may occur. Unless stated otherwise, the AIHW does not adjust data for possible errors or missing values.
- Rates are expressed as events per 100,000 population. Crude rates are calculated using the sum of resident populations at 30 June of the previous financial year, estimated from NHDH data.
- Time series comparisons should be interpreted with caution. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic was beyond the scope of this analysis, and trends may also be affected by the rollout of the NDIS, which may initially have included people with more severe mental health conditions.
- Disability Support Pension recipients who become eligible for the Age Pension at age 67 may transfer to that pension. Those who transfer are not included in this report.
Source:
AIHW NHDH 2018–23, analysis of NHDH
|
Data source overview
In 2022–23, the proportion of people with government disability supports who had at least one hospitalisation for mental health care was 6.7 times as high as the proportion for people with no government disability supports (2.8% vs 0.42%).
Among those admitted to hospital at least once, people with government disability supports had an average of 2.1 mental health care hospitalisations during the year, which was 1.3 times as high as the average for people with no government disability supports (1.6 hospitalisations). These patterns were consistent over recent years.
Proportion admitted (%) | Proportion admitted (%) | Average number of hospitalisations | Average number of hospitalisations | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Year | With disability supports | No disability supports | With disability supports | No disability supports |
2018–19 | 3.0 | 0.45 | 2.1 | 1.6 |
2019–20 | 3.0 | 0.46 | 2.2 | 1.6 |
2020–21 | 2.9 | 0.47 | 2.1 | 1.6 |
2021–22 | 2.7 | 0.43 | 2.1 | 1.6 |
2022–23 | 2.8 | 0.42 | 2.1 | 1.6 |
Notes
- Proportion admitted refers to the percentage of population who had an admitted patient mental health care hospitalisation.
- Average number is reported for admitted patients who had at least one mental health care hospitalisation.
In 2022–23, the rate of hospitalisations for mental health care was 10.8 times as high for people with government disability supports compared with people with no government disability supports after adjusting for age; the unadjusted rate shown in Figure 7 was 8.8 times as high during this period.
Did you know?
Even if the reason someone comes to hospital is because of their mental health, their hospital presentation may not be recognised and captured in the system as a mental health-related presentation. This can be especially true for people with intellectual disability. It can also mean the appropriate supports are not provided in hospital or set up for when the person is discharged.
‘Sometimes for people with intellectual disability people don't know whether it is mental health concerns, or something they could not communicate. Their admission reason to mental health facilities has been listed as intellectual disability.’
Reflection from inclusive research team member
Figure 7: Rate of hospitalisations for mental health care for people with government disability supports compared with people with no government disability supports, 2018–19 to 2022–23
Line chart showing rate of hospitalisations for mental health care
| Financial.year.of.admission | People with government disability supports | People with no government disability supports |
|---|---|---|
| 2018–19 | 6,500 | 730 |
| 2019–20 | 6,500 | 730 |
| 2020–21 | 6,200 | 730 |
| 2021–22 | 5,700 | 670 |
| 2022–23 | 5,800 | 660 |
- Data for these measures were accessed from the National Health Data Hub (NHDH). Admitted patient care data was sourced from the National Hospital Morbidity Database (NHMD) accessed via the NHDH. The NHMD contains the Admitted Patient Care National Minimum Data Set. For more information, see Data source – National Health Data Hub
- “People with government disability supports” includes people represented by the National Disability Data Asset disability flags. The flags do not represent all people with disability. The “people with no government disability supports” group includes people with disability who do not receive these supports, as well as people without disability. For more information, see Data source – National Health Data Hub.
- Disability type cannot currently be identified using the NDDA disability flags used for this analysis.
- Observed patterns may partly reflect differences in the age, sex and disability-type composition of comparison groups.
- Admitted patients are people who undergo a formal admission process in a public hospital to receive treatment and/or care.
- A hospitalisation is mental health-related if: it had a mental health-related principal diagnosis which, for admitted patient care, is defined as a principal diagnosis that is either a diagnosis that falls within the section on Mental and behavioural disorders (Chapter 5) in the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, 12th revision, Australian Modification (ICD-10-AM) classification (codes F00–F99) or a number of other selected diagnoses (refer to the Classification Codes section for the full list of applicable diagnoses codes and exclusions), or it included any specialised psychiatric care.
- Data and populations for Western Australia and the Northern Territory are excluded due to data availability.
- States and territories are primarily responsible for the quality of the data they provide. The AIHW validates data on receipt and queries potential errors with jurisdictions; corrections and resubmissions may occur. Unless stated otherwise, the AIHW does not adjust data for possible errors or missing values.
- Rates are expressed as events per 100,000 population. Crude rates are calculated using the sum of resident populations at 30 June of the previous financial year, estimated from NHDH data.
- Time series comparisons should be interpreted with caution. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic was beyond the scope of this analysis, and trends may also be affected by the rollout of the NDIS, which may initially have included people with more severe mental health conditions.
- Disability Support Pension recipients who become eligible for the Age Pension at age 67 may transfer to that pension. Those who transfer are not included in this report.
Source:
AIHW NHDH 2018–23, analysis of NHDH
|
Data source overview
Mental health care hospitalisations may occur in a specialist psychiatric unit or in other hospital units.
Of the people with government disability supports who were admitted to hospital for mental health care in 2022–23, around 3 in 5 (63%) mental health care hospitalisations occurred in specialist psychiatric units.
The proportion of hospitalisations for people with no government disability supports that took place in specialist psychiatric units was around 2 in 5 (44%).
Figure 8: Proportion of hospitalisations for mental health care that involved specialist psychiatric care for people with government disability supports compared with people with no government disability supports, 2022–23
Bar chart showing proportion of hospitalisations for mental health care that occurred in psychiatric units
| Cohort | Percentage of mental health episodes |
|---|---|
| People with government disability supports | 63% |
| People with no government disability supports | 44% |
- Data for these measures were accessed from the National Health Data Hub (NHDH). Admitted patient care data was sourced from the National Hospital Morbidity Database (NHMD) accessed via the NHDH. The NHMD contains the Admitted Patient Care National Minimum Data Set. For more information, see Data source – National Health Data Hub
- “People with government disability supports” includes people represented by the National Disability Data Asset disability flags. The flags do not represent all people with disability. The “people with no government disability supports” group includes people with disability who do not receive these supports, as well as people without disability. For more information, see Data source – National Health Data Hub.
- Disability type cannot currently be identified using the NDDA disability flags used for this analysis.
- Observed patterns may partly reflect differences in the age, sex and disability-type composition of comparison groups.
- Admitted patients are people who undergo a formal admission process in a public hospital to receive treatment and/or care.
- A hospitalisation is mental health-related if: it had a mental health-related principal diagnosis which, for admitted patient care, is defined as a principal diagnosis that is either a diagnosis that falls within the section on Mental and behavioural disorders (Chapter 5) in the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, 12th revision, Australian Modification (ICD-10-AM) classification (codes F00–F99) or a number of other selected diagnoses (refer to the Classification Codes section for the full list of applicable diagnoses codes and exclusions), or it included any specialised psychiatric care.
- Data and populations for Western Australia and the Northern Territory are excluded due to data availability.
- States and territories are primarily responsible for the quality of the data they provide. The AIHW validates data on receipt and queries potential errors with jurisdictions; corrections and resubmissions may occur. Unless stated otherwise, the AIHW does not adjust data for possible errors or missing values.
- Rates are expressed as events per 100,000 population. Crude rates are calculated using the sum of resident populations at 30 June of the previous financial year, estimated from NHDH data.
- Time series comparisons should be interpreted with caution. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic was beyond the scope of this analysis, and trends may also be affected by the rollout of the NDIS, which may initially have included people with more severe mental health conditions.
- Disability Support Pension recipients who become eligible for the Age Pension at age 67 may transfer to that pension. Those who transfer are not included in this report.
Source:
AIHW NHDH 2018–23, analysis of NHDH
|
Data source overview
Of the people with government disability supports who were admitted to hospital for mental health care in 2022–23, around 4 in 5 (79%) hospitalisations lasted for one or more nights. This was similar for people with no government disability supports (80%).
Figure 9: Proportion of hospitalisations for mental health care that were overnight for people with government disability supports compared with people with no government disability supports, 2022–23
Bar chart showing proportion of hospitalisations for mental health care that were overnight
| Cohort | Percentage of mental health episodes |
|---|---|
| People with government disability supports | 79% |
| People with no government disability supports | 80% |
- Data for these measures were accessed from the National Health Data Hub (NHDH). Admitted patient care data was sourced from the National Hospital Morbidity Database (NHMD) accessed via the NHDH. The NHMD contains the Admitted Patient Care National Minimum Data Set. For more information, see Data source – National Health Data Hub
- “People with government disability supports” includes people represented by the National Disability Data Asset disability flags. The flags do not represent all people with disability. The “people with no government disability supports” group includes people with disability who do not receive these supports, as well as people without disability. For more information, see Data source – National Health Data Hub.
- Disability type cannot currently be identified using the NDDA disability flags used for this analysis.
- Observed patterns may partly reflect differences in the age, sex and disability-type composition of comparison groups.
- Admitted patients are people who undergo a formal admission process in a public hospital to receive treatment and/or care.
- A hospitalisation is mental health-related if: it had a mental health-related principal diagnosis which, for admitted patient care, is defined as a principal diagnosis that is either a diagnosis that falls within the section on Mental and behavioural disorders (Chapter 5) in the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, 12th revision, Australian Modification (ICD-10-AM) classification (codes F00–F99) or a number of other selected diagnoses (refer to the Classification Codes section for the full list of applicable diagnoses codes and exclusions), or it included any specialised psychiatric care.
- Data and populations for Western Australia and the Northern Territory are excluded due to data availability.
- States and territories are primarily responsible for the quality of the data they provide. The AIHW validates data on receipt and queries potential errors with jurisdictions; corrections and resubmissions may occur. Unless stated otherwise, the AIHW does not adjust data for possible errors or missing values.
- Rates are expressed as events per 100,000 population. Crude rates are calculated using the sum of resident populations at 30 June of the previous financial year, estimated from NHDH data.
- Time series comparisons should be interpreted with caution. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic was beyond the scope of this analysis, and trends may also be affected by the rollout of the NDIS, which may initially have included people with more severe mental health conditions.
- Disability Support Pension recipients who become eligible for the Age Pension at age 67 may transfer to that pension. Those who transfer are not included in this report.
Source:
AIHW NHDH 2018–23, analysis of NHDH
|
Data source overview
'Separation mode' describes how a hospitalisation ended.
Of the people with government disability supports who were admitted to hospital for mental health care in 2022–23:
- around 4 in 5 (80%) hospitalisations ended with discharge to the person’s usual residence
- around 1 in 6 (17%) hospitalisations resulted in further care, which may or may not have been provided in the same hospital.
These findings were similar for people with no government disability supports (76% discharged to usual residence; 18% further care).
Figure 10: Separation modes for hospitalisations for mental health care for people with government disability supports compared with people with no government disability supports, 2022–23
Grouped bar chart showing proportion of patients with each separation mode at the conclusion of hospitalisation for mental health care
| Separation mode | People with government disability supports | People with no government disability supports |
|---|---|---|
| Discharged to usual place of residence | 80% | 76% |
| Discharge/transfer to (an)other psychiatric hospital | 2.8% | 1.5% |
| Discharge/transfer to other care | 14% | 16% |
| Other | 3.4% | 5.7% |
- Data for these measures were accessed from the National Health Data Hub (NHDH). Admitted patient care data was sourced from the National Hospital Morbidity Database (NHMD) accessed via the NHDH. The NHMD contains the Admitted Patient Care National Minimum Data Set. For more information, see Data source – National Health Data Hub
- “People with government disability supports” includes people represented by the National Disability Data Asset disability flags. The flags do not represent all people with disability. The “people with no government disability supports” group includes people with disability who do not receive these supports, as well as people without disability. For more information, see Data source – National Health Data Hub.
- Disability type cannot currently be identified using the NDDA disability flags used for this analysis.
- Observed patterns may partly reflect differences in the age, sex and disability-type composition of comparison groups.
- Admitted patients are people who undergo a formal admission process in a public hospital to receive treatment and/or care.
- A hospitalisation is mental health-related if: it had a mental health-related principal diagnosis which, for admitted patient care, is defined as a principal diagnosis that is either a diagnosis that falls within the section on Mental and behavioural disorders (Chapter 5) in the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, 12th revision, Australian Modification (ICD-10-AM) classification (codes F00–F99) or a number of other selected diagnoses (refer to the Classification Codes section for the full list of applicable diagnoses codes and exclusions), or it included any specialised psychiatric care.
- Data and populations for Western Australia and the Northern Territory are excluded due to data availability.
- States and territories are primarily responsible for the quality of the data they provide. The AIHW validates data on receipt and queries potential errors with jurisdictions; corrections and resubmissions may occur. Unless stated otherwise, the AIHW does not adjust data for possible errors or missing values.
- Rates are expressed as events per 100,000 population. Crude rates are calculated using the sum of resident populations at 30 June of the previous financial year, estimated from NHDH data.
- Time series comparisons should be interpreted with caution. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic was beyond the scope of this analysis, and trends may also be affected by the rollout of the NDIS, which may initially have included people with more severe mental health conditions.
- Disability Support Pension recipients who become eligible for the Age Pension at age 67 may transfer to that pension. Those who transfer are not included in this report.
'Other' includes people who left against medical advice or were discharged at own risk, were discharged during hospital leave, or died.
Source:
AIHW NHDH 2018–23, analysis of NHDH
|
Data source overview
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