Top

Administration and Policy in Mental Health and Mental Health Services Research

Published in:

01-09-2015 | Original Article

Characteristics of People Who Use Telephone Counseling: Findings from Secondary Analysis of a Population-Based Study

Authors: Bridget Bassilios, Meredith Harris, Aves Middleton, Jane Gunn, Jane Pirkis

Published in: Administration and Policy in Mental Health and Mental Health Services Research | Issue 5/2015

Abstract

The characteristics of people who use telephone counseling are not well understood. This secondary analysis used data from a nationally representative community survey of 8,841 Australian adults to compare callers and non-callers to telephone counseling services. Callers have a poorer clinical profile, including a higher risk of suicide, than people who do not use telephone counseling. They also use a variety of other mental health services. Repeat calls are associated with anxiety disorders, receipt of mental health care from general practitioners, and social disadvantage. All callers have a potential need for telephone counseling and further population studies that distinguish between telephone services intended to provide crisis (one-off) and ongoing counseling are warranted.

Andrews, G., & Peters, L. (1998). The psychometric properties of the composite diagnostic interview. Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology, 33, 80–88.CrossRefPubMed

Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2003). Information paper: Use of the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale in ABS health surveys, Australia, 2001. Canberra: ABS.

Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2009a). 2007 National Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing: User’s Guide (Cat. No. 4327.0). Canberra: Australian Bureau of Statistics.

Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2009b). Technical Manual: National Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing, Confidentialised Unit Record Files 2007 (Cat. No. 4329.0) Canberra: Australian Bureau of Statistics.

Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. (2009). Mental health services in Australia 2006–07. Mental health series No. 11. Cat. No. HSE 74. Canberra: AIHW.

Bartholomew, A. A., & Olijnyk, E. (1973). The chronic caller and an emergency telephone advisory service. Australian Social Work, 26(1), 29–32. doi:10.1080/03124077308549385.CrossRef

Burgess, N., Christensen, H., Leach, L. S., Farrer, L., & Griffiths, K. M. (2008). Mental health profile of callers to a telephone counselling service. Journal of Telemedicine and Telecare, 14(1), 42–47.CrossRefPubMed

Burgess, P., & Pirkis, J. E. (2009). Service use for mental health problems: findings from the 2007 National Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, 43, 615–623.CrossRefPubMed

Coman, G. J., Burrows, G. D., & Evans, B. J. (2001). Telephone counselling in Australia: applications and considerations for use. British Journal of Guidance and Counselling, 29(2), 247–258. doi:10.1080/03069880020047166.CrossRef

Coveney, C. M., Pollock, K., Armstrong, S., & Moore, J. (2012). Callers’ experiences of contacting a national suicide prevention helpline: Report of an online survey. Crisis: The Journal of Crisis Intervention and Suicide Prevention, 33(6), 313–324. doi:10.1027/0227-5910/a000151.CrossRef

Efron, B. (1981). Nonparametric estimates of standard error: the jackknife, the bootstrap and other methods. Biometrika, 68(3), 589–599.CrossRef

Hall, B., & Schlosar, H. (1995). Repeat callers and the Samaritan telephone crisis line: A Canadian experience. Crisis: The Journal of Crisis Intervention and Suicide Prevention, 16(2), 66–71, 89.

Ingram, S., Ringle, J., Hallstrom, K., Schill, D., Gohr, V., & Thompson, R. (2008). Coping with Crisis across the Lifespan: The Role of a Telephone Hotline. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 17(5), 663–674. doi:10.1007/s10826-007-9180-z.CrossRef

IRIS Research. (2006). Lifeline National Consumer Needs and Expectations Survey 2005. Canberra: Lifeline Australia.

Johnston, A. K., Pirkis, J. E., & Burgess, P. M. (2009). Suicidal thoughts and behaviours among Australian adults: findings from the 2007 National Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, 43, 635–643.CrossRefPubMed

Kessler, R. C., Andrews, G., Colpe, L. J., Hiripi, E., Mroczek, D. K., LT-Normand, S., et al. (2002). Short screening scales to monitor population prevalences and trends in non-specific psychological distress. Psychological Medicine, 32(6), 959–976.CrossRefPubMed

Kessler, R. C., & Ustun, T. B. (2004). The World Mental Health (WMH) Survey Initiative Version of the World Health Organization (WHO) Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI). International Journal of Methods in Psychiatric Research, 13, 93–121.CrossRefPubMed

Lester, D., & Brockopp, G. W. (1970). Chronic callers to a suicide prevention center. Community Mental Health Journal, 6(3), 246–250.CrossRefPubMed

Middleton, A., Gunn, J., Bassilios, B., & Pirkis, J. (2014). Systematic review of research into frequent callers to crisis helplines. Journal of Telemedicine and Telecare, 20(2), 89–98.CrossRefPubMed

Mullins, L. C., Elston, C. H., & Gutkowski, S. M. (1996). Social determinants of loneliness among older Americans. Genetic, Social, and General Psychology Monographs, 122(4), 453–473.PubMed

National Health Workforce Planning and Research Collaboration. (2011). Mental Health Non-Government Organisation Workforce Project Final Report. Adelaide: Health Workforce Australia.

Parslow, R. A., & Jorm, A. F. (2000). Who uses mental health services in Australia? An anslysis of data from the National Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, 34(6), 997–1008.CrossRefPubMed

Rosenfield, M. (1997). Counselling by telephone. London: Sage Publications.

Sawyer, J., & Jameton, E. (1979). Chronic callers to a suicide prevention center. Suicide and Life -Threatening Behavior, 9(2), 97–104.PubMed

Seeley, M. F. (1993). Hotlines—A case study. Crisis, 14(2), 59–60.PubMed

Slade, T., Johnston, A., Oakely Brown, M.A., Andrews, G., & Whiteford, H. (2009). 2007 National Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing: methods and key findings. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, 43, 594–605.

Spittal, M. J., Fedyszyn, I., Middleton, A., Bassilios, B., Gunn, J., Woodward, A., & Pirkis, J. (2014). Frequent callers to crisis helplines: Who are they and why do they call? Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, Online First, 1–11.

StataCorp. (2012). Stata Statistical Software: Release 11.2: StataCorp.

Urbis Keys Young. (2002). National review of tele counselling and web counselling services. Canberra: Department of Health & Ageing.

Urbis Keys Young. (2003). National review of tele and web counselling services: Literature review. Canberra: Department of Health & Ageing.

Watson, R. J., McDonald, J., & Pearce, D. C. (2006). An exploration of national calls to Lifeline Australia: social support or urgent suicide intervention? British Journal of Guidance and Counselling, 34(4), 471–482.CrossRef

World Health Organization. (1992). The ICD-10 Classification of mental and behavioural disorders: Clinical descriptions and diagnostic guidelines. Geneva: WHO.

Title: Characteristics of People Who Use Telephone Counseling: Findings from Secondary Analysis of a Population-Based Study
Authors: Bridget Bassilios
Meredith Harris
Aves Middleton
Jane Gunn
Jane Pirkis
Publication date: 01-09-2015
Publisher: Springer US
Published in: Administration and Policy in Mental Health and Mental Health Services Research / Issue 5/2015
Print ISSN: 0894-587X
Electronic ISSN: 1573-3289
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10488-014-0595-8

Keynote webinar | Spotlight on medication adherence

Springer Medicine

Characteristics of People Who Use Telephone Counseling: Findings from Secondary Analysis of a Population-Based Study

Abstract

Keynote webinar | Spotlight on medication adherence

Springer Medicine

Abstract

Please log in to get access to this content

Other articles of this Issue 5/2015

Co-responding Police-Mental Health Programs: A Review

Optimal Design and Purposeful Sampling: Complementary Methodologies for Implementation Research

Purposeful Sampling for Qualitative Data Collection and Analysis in Mixed Method Implementation Research

Measures for Predictors of Innovation Adoption

Long-Term Clinical Outcomes from a Randomized Controlled Trial of Two Implementation Strategies to Promote Collaborative Care Attendance in Community Practices

Integrating Science and Engineering to Implement Evidence-Based Practices in Health Care Settings