Failure to seek health care among the mentally ill.
This study describes failure to seek health care among 673 new adult clients seeking mental health services in the San Francisco Bay area. Overall, 49% (n = 328) reported a failure to seek health care they believed was needed in the past year. People with dual diagnosis, severe depression, chronic physical illness, fear of coercive treatment, private insurance, and no insurance were more likely to fail to seek health care. Greater use of private physicians decreased the odds of failure to seek health care. These findings highlight the need to target groups at risk for failure to seek health care and the need to design nonthreatening programs to improve health access for people with mental illness.
Hahm
Hyeouk C
HC
School of Social Welfare, University of California, Berkeley, and Center for Self-Help Research, Berkeley, CA, USA. h2000@uclink.berkeley.edu
Segal
Steven P
SP
D000328:Adult; D002391:Catchment Area, Health; D002908:Chronic Disease; D039721:Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy*; D008605:Mental Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D028642:Persons with Psychiatric Disorders / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care; D010349:Patient Compliance / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012495:San Francisco / Q000453:epidemiology