Register      Login
Australian Health Review Australian Health Review Society
Journal of the Australian Healthcare & Hospitals Association
RESEARCH ARTICLE

Referral reasons to a Victorian mental health triage service for individuals living with young-onset dementia

Samantha M. Loi https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4953-4500 A B * and Dennis Velakoulis A B
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A Neuropsychiatry Centre, Royal Melbourne Hospital, John Cade Level 2, Parkville, Vic 3050, Australia.

B Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne, Grattan Street, Parkville, Vic 3052, Australia.

* Correspondence to: Samantha.loi@unimelb.edu.au

Australian Health Review 48(4) 358-363 https://doi.org/10.1071/AH24117
Submitted: 29 March 2024  Accepted: 10 June 2024  Published: 25 June 2024

© 2024 The Author(s) (or their employer(s)). Published by CSIRO Publishing on behalf of AHHA.

Abstract

Objectives

Mental health triage services are the first contact for people wanting support for their mental health and provide access to public mental health services in Victoria, Australia. People living with young-onset dementia and their families may contact triage services seeking assistance for behaviour changes and pathways to care as there are few alternative services available.

Methods

The authors reviewed the minimum triage dataset from one of the largest mental health services in Victoria, Australia from 2018 to 2021 investigating reasons for referral for people with young-onset dementia.

Results

Of the 1766 referrals for ‘dementia’, 145 were for young-onset dementia. Of these, 69% were referred for behaviour changes. About half of the referrals for behaviour changes were triaged as ‘advice only’. One-third of referrals were from general practitioners.

Conclusions

The availability of dementia-specific support services that could provide advice on dementia as well as advice for behaviour changes related to the disease could potentially ease the burden of phone calls received by mental health triage services.

Keywords: mental health services, referrals, service provision, triage, young-onset dementia.

References

Department of Health. Area-based services. 2021. Available at https://www.health.vic.gov.au/mental-health-services/area-based-services.

Department of Health and Human Services. Triage Minimum Dataset. Vic: State Government of Victoria; 2019.

State Government of Victoria. Royal Commission into Victoria’s Mental Health system - final report. 2019. Available at https://www.vic.gov.au/royal-commission-victorias-mental-health-system-final-report [cited 2 March 2021].

Macfarlane S, Atee M, Morris T, et al. Evaluating the Clinical Impact of National Dementia Behaviour Support Programs on Neuropsychiatric Outcomes in Australia. Front Psychiatry 2021; 12: 652254.
| Crossref | Google Scholar | PubMed |

Loi SM, Atee M, Morris T, et al. Clinico-demographics of people with younger-onset dementia and neuropsychiatric symptoms referred to an Australian dementia support service: A comparison study with older-onset dementia. Aust N Z J Psychiatry 2022; 56: 1653-63.
| Crossref | Google Scholar | PubMed |

Rossor MN, Fox NC, Mummery CJ, et al. The diagnosis of young-onset dementia. Lancet Neurol 2010; 9(8): 793-806.
| Crossref | Google Scholar | PubMed |

Cadwallader CJ, Velakoulis D, Loi SM. Post-diagnostic support for behaviour changes in young-onset dementia in Australia. Brain Sci 2023; 13(11): 1529.
| Crossref | Google Scholar | PubMed |

Ryan B, Martinez Ruiz A, Rivera-Rodriguez C, et al. Sociodemographic and Clinical Characteristics of 1350 Patients With Young Onset Dementia: A Comparison With Older Patients. Alzheimer Dis Assoc Disord 2021; 35(3): 200-7.
| Crossref | Google Scholar | PubMed |

Arai A, Matsumoto T, Ikeda M, et al. Do family caregivers perceive more difficulty when they look after patients with early onset dementia compared to those with late onset dementia? Int J Geriatr Psychiatry 2007; 22(12): 1255-61.
| Crossref | Google Scholar | PubMed |

10  Baillon S, Gasper A, Wilson-Morkeh F, et al. Prevalence and Severity of Neuropsychiatric Symptoms in Early- Versus Late-Onset Alzheimer’s Disease. Am J Alzheimers Dis Other Demen 2019; 34(7–8): 433-8.
| Crossref | Google Scholar | PubMed |

11  Couzner L, Day S, Draper B, et al. What do health professionals need to know about young onset dementia? An international Delphi consensus study. BMC Health Serv Res 2022; 22(1): 14.
| Crossref | Google Scholar | PubMed |

12  Australian Bureau of Statistics. Regional population by age and sex. Australian Bureau of Statistics; 2021.

13  van Vliet D, de Vugt ME, Aalten P, et al. Prevalence of neuropsychiatric symptoms in young-onset compared to late-onset Alzheimer’s disease - part 1: findings of the two-year longitudinal NeedYD-study. Dement Geriatr Cogn Disord 2012; 34(5–6): 319-27.
| Crossref | Google Scholar | PubMed |

14  Bakker C, de Vugt ME, van Vliet D, et al. Predictors of the time to institutionalization in young- versus late-onset dementia: results from the Needs in Young Onset Dementia (NeedYD) study. J Am Med Dir Assoc 2013; 14(4): 248-53.
| Crossref | Google Scholar | PubMed |

15  Australian Government. Younger people in residential aged care. Department of Health and Aged Care; 2023. Available at https://www.health.gov.au/our-work/younger-people-in-residential-aged-care?language=en [cited 2 October 2023].

16  Australian Government Department of Social Services. Young people in residential aged care. 2020. Available at https://www.dss.gov.au/disability-and-carers/programmes-services/for-people-with-disability/younger-people-with-disability-in-residential-aged-care-initiative