Mode of Entry into Mental Health Care and Perceptions about the Effectiveness of Treatment

• In Event: 2224 - Emerging Issues in Mental Health

Abstract

Understanding and addressing the gap between need and effective treatment for mental health problems remain a central challenge for researchers and policy makers. Individuals may choose to seek help, but may also be substantially influenced by others or coerced into care. The chances of each type of pathway are influenced by social characteristics and may shape perceptions of effectiveness of care. Perceptions of treatment effectiveness predict future use of services and the likelihood of recovery from mental illnesses. Yet little is known about the association between pathways to care and perceived outcomes of care. We use data from the 2010-2014 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (N=10,020) to address this gap. Results show that persons who independently seek mental health care are more likely to rate treatment as effective compared to persons ordered into care. But among those with severe mental illnesses, the probability of rating treatment as effective is highest if they were asked by others to seek care and lowest if there were ordered into care. Therefore, peer support programs and models that recognize self-entry into care as empowering might reduce delayed treatment and improve utilization of mental health services among individuals and their social networks.

Author

• Sirry Alang, Lehigh University