title: Help-seeking behaviours of individuals with mood disorders.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study had the following objectives: 1) to estimate the 12-month prevalence of conventional and unconventional mental health service use by individuals with major depressive disorder (MDD) or mania in the past year, and 2) to identify factors associated with the use of conventional mental health services by individuals with MDD or mania in the past year.
  
  
  METHODS
  We examined data from the Canadian Community Health Survey: Mental Health and Well-Being (CCHS 1.2). Respondents with MDD (n = 1563) or manic episodes (n = 393) in the past 12 months were included in this analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  An estimated 63.9% of respondents with MDD and 59.0% of those with manic episodes reported having used some type of help in the past 12 months; 52.9% of those with MDD and 49.0% of those with manic episodes used conventional mental health services. Approximately 21% of respondents with either MDD or manic episodes used natural health products specifically for emotional, mental health, and drug or alcohol use problems. Respondents who reported comorbid anxiety disorders and long-term medical conditions were more likely to have used conventional mental health services.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Relative to previous Canadian literature, our analysis suggests that the frequency of conventional mental health service use among persons with MDD has not increased significantly in the past decade. Further, the rate of conventional mental health service use by persons with manic episodes is unexpectedly low. These findings may reflect the lack of national initiatives targeting mood disorders in Canada. They have important implications for planning future education, promotion, and research efforts.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of Calgary, Alberta. jianli.wang@calgaryhealthregion.ca
authors.forename: JianLi
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Scott B
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Patten
authors.forename: Jeanne V A
authors.initials: JV
authors.lastname: Williams
authors.forename: Shawn
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Currie
authors.forename: Cynthia A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Beck
authors.forename: Colleen J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Maxwell
authors.forename: Nady
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: El-Guebaly
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001714:Bipolar Disorder / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy*; D002170:Canada / Q000453:epidemiology; D000529:Complementary Therapies / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008605:Mental Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care; D015995:Prevalence; D012944:Social Support