Unmet needs in the community: can existing services meet them?
OBJECTIVE
This prospective study of community cases examined: (a) needs for care; (b) whether services meet the needs; and (c) personal factors associated with unmet needs.


METHODS
Two separate 'Needs for Care Assessment Schedule Community version' evaluations identified 38 subjects with No Need (NN), 19 with Met Needs (MN) and 25 with Unmet Needs (UNM). Other instruments included the Diagnostic Interview Schedule-Abridged Version (DISSA) and repeated measures of symptoms and social functioning.


RESULTS
(a) Cases did not equate needs. (b) Services utilization did not equate having met needs. (c) Respondents with UNM were more likely to present high rates of lifetime DSM-II-R disorders, no marital relationship ever, no employment, high rates of life events, and physical or sexual abuse in childhood. They have worse outcome in terms of distress and social functioning.


CONCLUSIONS
Personal factors may prevent respondents from seeking, engaging and benefiting from treatment.
Lefebvre
J
J
Départment de psychologie, Université de Montréal, Québec, Canada.
Cyr
M
M
Lesage
A
A
Fournier
L
L
Toupin
J
J
D000208:Acute Disease; D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D002170:Canada; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003156:Community Mental Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015986:Confounding Factors, Epidemiologic; D005260:Female; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006801:Humans; D008016:Life Change Events; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology*; D020380:Needs Assessment / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care / Q000379:methods; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors