title: Impact of mental health problems on self-perceived oral health needs in a Medicaid population.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to examine the prevalence of self-perceived oral health needs among Medicaid-enrolled adults with and without mental health problems and to identify factors predictive of enrollees' perceived oral health needs. The study involved a secondary analysis of 1,721 respondents to the Florida Health Services Survey. Contrary to the previous research, the findings from this study indicated that respondents with mental health problems (52.9%) did not differ significantly in their dental needs compared to those who did not have mental health problems (49.3%). The results from a logistic regression suggested that after controlling for demographic characteristics, substance abuse problems and functional needs increased the likelihood of self-reported oral health needs, whereas the receipt of Supplemental Security Income (SSI) was associated with decreased dental needs. The prevalence of unmet dental needs among these respondents (i.e., 23%) supported the conclusion that a significant gap exists in the accessibility of oral health services among this population.
authors.affiliation: Louis de la Parte Florida Mental Health Institute, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA boothroy@usf.edu.
authors.forename: Roger A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Boothroyd
authors.affiliation: Western Medical University, Ontario, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Annie
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ware
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D005431:Florida / Q000453:epidemiology; D006297:Health Services Accessibility; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008484:Medicaid / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008603:Mental Health / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009909:Oral Health / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011632:Public Assistance / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012307:Risk Factors; D057566:Self Report; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology
keywords: Medicaid; adults; mail survey; mental health; oral health