Troy Belshaw, Diviya GK and Talal Lakmas explored factors which determine why general practitioners (GPs) choose to practise in the Western NSW Local Health District. 

The study found 60 percent of GPs working in the district were of non-rural origin and 40 per cent of rural origin.

GPs identified life partner and family, appeal of a rural lifestyle and opportunities to apply a diverse range of skills as moderate-strong influencers of the decision to practise rurally. Government incentive schemes, and exposure to rural environments during training were identified as having little or no influence on the decision overall, but rural training was more influential for GPs who were of non-rural origin.

The study highlighted an ageing GP population and movement of GPs as they age to more populated regions.

The researchers concluded that the decision-making process was complex, and recommended working closely with communities to determine their needs in attempting to attract medical services to specific areas.

Adam Dawson, Kulwant Singh and Katie Belshaw investigated undergraduate student knowledge and awareness of mental health support services available to them. 

High levels of mental health disorders have previously been noted among university students, and the student researchers speculated underutilisation of support services may be due partly to lack of awareness and perceptions of social stigma.

The study showed awareness of some services was high, such as counsellors and residential advisers, while other services were less well recognised, such as student liaison officers and external service providers. 

Interestingly, students of rural background were more aware than metropolitan students of external mental health service providers such as beyondblue.

The students concluded that a targeted approach to education based on variations observed between demographic groups might result in better awareness and utilisation of services.