A survey of psychiatric services for elderly people in Australia

In 1992 a postal questionnaire identified 107 psychiatrists in Australia who, for a significant proportion of their time, were providing psychiatric services to elderly people. Only 18% were female. There were 34 psychiatrists working full-time in psychiatry of old age in the public health system. Twenty-three multidisciplinary catchment area psychiatric services for elderly people were identified, but staff to population ratios varied considerably. The ratio of psychiatrists to elderly was 1:30,000--similar to the ratio in a large part of Britain seven years previously. Psychogeriatricians are involved in a broad range of teaching and research activities. The mean number of non-medical staff in a catchment area psychogeriatric service should be increased.