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

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.