Physical Morbidity and Mental Health Care Among Young People

Aug 10, 2020The Journal of adolescent health : official publication of the Society for Adolescent Medicine

Physical Illness and Mental Health Care in Young People

AI simplified

Circadian Biology on OpenScience ↗PubMed ↗DOI ↗

Abstract

Individuals with comorbid physical health problems had 12.54 times higher odds of using mental health care for mental health issues.

Young people aged 15-29 years were analyzed from a sample of 5,630 individuals.
Comorbidity of physical health issues is associated with increased likelihood of seeking mental health care for both mental health and substance use problems.
The odds of unmet mental health care needs were also elevated for those with either mental health (OR = 2.56) or substance use problems (OR = 2.48).
Despite high odds of seeking care, individuals with a physical comorbidity were less likely to report unmet mental health needs compared to those with only mental health or substance use problems.

AI simplified

PURPOSE: This epidemiological study examined associations between morbidity status and mental health care use among young people.

METHODS: Data come from individuals aged 15-29 years (n = 5,630) in the Canadian Community Health Survey-Mental Health (2012). Physical health problems were measured using a standard checklist. The Composite International Diagnostic Interview assessed 12-month mental health and substance use problems. Individuals were asked which types of mental health care they had received in the past year. Logistic, ordinal, and multinomial regression models were computed and the method of variance estimates recovery was used to compare estimates.

RESULTS: Individuals with comorbid physical health problems had higher odds of mental health care use for those with mental (odds ratio [OR] = 12.54 [7.07, 22.25]) and substance use problems (OR = 2.97 [1.75, 5.05]). While these estimates were higher than for individuals without physical comorbidity, differences were not statistically significant. For mental health care needs not being met, associations were found for individuals with mental (OR = 2.56 [1.24, 5.26]) or substance use problems only (OR = 2.48 [1.06, 5.82]).

CONCLUSIONS: Odds of perceiving the need for and using mental health care were high in individuals with a physical comorbidity, but similar to those with mental health or substance use problems only. Young people with a physical comorbidity were less likely to report that their mental health needs are not being met compared to those with mental health or substance use problems only. Research is needed to understand barriers and facilitators faced by young people with mental health or substance use problems as they navigate the health system.

Full Text

Full text is available at the source.

View full text (XML) ↗View full text ↗

Physical Morbidity and Mental Health Care Among Young People

Abstract

Full Text

You found one interesting study. We’ll send the next 7.

what lands in your inbox each week:

Recent issues from the circadian biology brief

Abstract

Full Text

Related papers

You found one interesting study. We’ll send the next 7.

what lands in your inbox each week:

Recent issues from the circadian biology brief