Social participation in adults with mental illness, 2018

Collection and usage attributes

15 years

All Australians

People with mental illness:

‘People with a mental illness’ is defined as any response of ‘Mental health condition’ to the ‘Long-term health conditions’ question in the General Social Survey (GSS).

Mental health conditions in the survey are: depression or feeling depressed; feeling anxious or nervous; behavioural or emotional disorders; dependence on drugs or alcohol; problems learning or understanding things.

Social participation:

‘Social participation’ is defined as:

• any response of ‘Yes’ to the following questions in the GSS:
• – participated in community groups in the last 12 months (CMG_Q01)
• – participated in social groups in the last 12 months (CMG_Q02)
• – participated in civic or political groups in the last 12 months (CMG_Q03)
• – attended sporting event as a spectator in the last 12 months (SPPA_A05)
• – attended cultural venues or events in the last 12 months (CAV_Q01)
• any response other than ‘None of the time’ to the question: ‘How often do you feel you are able to have a say within the general community, on issues that are important to you?’ (NAO_Q03).

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people

People with a mental illness:

‘People with a mental illness’ is defined as any response of ‘Mental health condition’ to the ‘Long-term health conditions’ question in the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Survey (NATSISS).

Mental health conditions in the survey are: Depression or feeling depressed; anxiety or feeling anxious or nervous; behavioural or emotional problems; harmful use of, or dependence on, drugs or alcohol.

Social participation:

‘Social participation’ is defined as:

• any response of ‘Yes’ to the following questions in the NATSISS:
  • – participated in community or interest groups in the last 12 months (Q04IISA: items 10–13)
  • – attended cultural venues or events in the last 12 months (Q04IISA: 15–18)
  • – attended a sporting event in the last 12 months (Q04AIISA: 5)
  • – participated in Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander cultural activities or ceremonies (Q01CULP: 1–6)
• any response other than ‘None of the time’ to the question: 'How often do you feel you are able to have a say within the general community, on issues that are important to you?’(Q04NAO)

(Numerator ÷ Denominator) × 100

Number of people with a mental illness reporting participation with family, social and community groups.

Number of people with mental illness.

Consumer attributes: sex, age groups, Remoteness Areas (major cities, inner regional, outer regional, remote, very remote (NATSISS only), total), and total Australian population and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australian population.

Representational attributes

N[NN].N

Indicator conceptual framework

Data source attributes

Accountability attributes

 Fifth National Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Plan

 Australian Bureau of Statistics

Data for this indicator could also be sourced from the Living in the Community Questionnaire (LCQ) following implementation. It is unclear when the LCQ will be implemented and whether sufficient data will be available to support reporting of a national indicator. Implementation of the LCQ is likely to occur mainly within state and territory mental health services.

Source and reference attributes

Australian Health Ministers' Advisory Council 2013. A national framework for recovery-oriented mental health services: Guide for practitioners and providers. Canberra: Commonwealth of Australia.

NMHPSC (National Mental Health Performance Subcommittee) 2011. Fourth National Mental Health Plan Measurement strategy: First edition – May 2011. Brisbane: NMHPSC.

Webber M & Fendt-Newlin M 2017. A review of social participation interventions for people with mental health problems. Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology 52(4): 369–380.