Rural mental health units--is there a role for a GP?

Introduction: Mental illness is a common medical condition which is increasing in frequency. In Australia, almost one in five persons have experienced an anxiety, depressive or substance abuse disorder in the last 12 months, but less than half have sought professional assistance. In rural and remote areas, there is limited access to psychiatrists, and the majority of mental health care resides with the GP.

Awareness of risks of overweight among rural Australians.

Introduction: Overweight and obesity are highly prevalent in rural areas and pose significant risks to health. The aim of this study was to investigate whether the rural public in central Queensland are aware of the health risks of overweight and to determine whether their perceptions of weight status and methods used to assess weight status correspond with those of health professionals.

Methods: Adults were randomly selected from shoppers in shopping centres in Central Queensland, Australia, to self-complete a questionnaire that assessed participants' understanding of the health risks of overweight, perception of current weight, methods used to assess current weight and understanding of the concepts of body mass index (BMI) and waist-to-hip ratio (WHR).