Complaint risk among mental health practitioners compared with physical health practitioners: a retrospective cohort study of complaints to health regulators in Australia

What is it about?

This study examined six years (2011 to 2016) of complaints data received by Australian health regulators about both mental and physical health practitioners. We defined mental health practitioners as psychiatrists and psychologists; and physical health practitioners as physicians, optometrists, physiotherapists, osteopaths and chiropractors. In total, 7903 complaints were lodged; most of them by patients and their families. We found that mental health practitioners had a complaint rate that was more than twice that of physical health practitioners. Mental health practitioners’ risk of complaints was especially high in relation to reports, records, confidentiality, interpersonal behaviour, sexual boundary breaches, and the mental health of the practitioner. Among mental health practitioners, male practitioners and older practitioners were at increased risk of complaints. Further research could usefully explore whether addressing these risk factors through training, professional development, and practitioner health initiatives may reduce the risk of complaints about mental health practitioners.

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