Investigating disparities in mental health care service use among people with mood and anxiety disorders
Many Canadians face challenges in accessing the mental health care they want or need. A new study, entitled "Investigating disparities in mental health care service use among people with mood and anxiety disorders," used nationally representative data from the 2022 Mental Health and Access to Care Survey to find out which groups of people are most likely to receive professional help for mental health problems.
This study focused specifically on the use of mental health care services among the 15% of Canadians aged 15 and older who met diagnostic criteria for mood or anxiety disorders, such as depression, bipolar disorders, generalized anxiety disorder, and social phobia. These respondents report significant difficulties with their mental health and may face barriers in getting the professional support they want or need.
The study found that gender, immigrant status, age, and household income were associated with the use of mental health care services among people with mood and anxiety disorders, even when controlling for other sociodemographic factors.
Half of women who met diagnostic criteria for a mood or anxiety disorder had received some counselling or therapy, compared with 40% of men. Among those who had not received counselling or therapy, 35% of women with mood and anxiety disorders and 20% of men with these disorders felt they needed it.
Among people living in Canada for less than 10 years who met diagnostic criteria for a mood or anxiety disorder, less than one-third (31%) had received counselling or therapy, compared with almost half of their Canadian-born peers (49%).
The most common reasons cited for not having received counselling or therapy among those who perceived a need for it were a preference to manage alone (38%), help was not readily available (33%), not being able to afford to pay (32%), being too busy (31%), and not knowing how or where to get this kind of help (28%).
These findings show that sociodemographic characteristics are related to access to mental health care services and that efforts to improve access to mental health treatment may benefit from addressing both attitudes and structural barriers.
Contact information
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