Prevalence of Mental Health and Addiction Service use Prior to and During Incarceration in Provincial Jails in Ontario, Canada: A Retrospective Cohort Study

Objective Individuals with mental illness and addiction are overrepresented in prisons. Few studies have assessed mental health and addiction (MHA)-related service use among individuals experiencing incarceration using health administrative data and most focus on service use after prison release. The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of MHA-related service use in the 5 years prior to and during incarceration. Methods We used linked correctional and administrative health data for people released from Ontario provincial jails in 2010. MHA-related service use in the 5 years prior to the index incarceration was categorized hierarchically into four mutually exclusive categories based on the type of service use: psychiatric hospitalization, MHA-related emergency department (ED) visit, MHA-related outpatient visit (from psychiatrist or primary care physician), and no MHA-related service use. Demographic, diagnostic, and incarceration characteristics were compared across the four service use categories. MHA-related service use during the index incarceration was assessed by category and length of incarceration. Results A total of 48,917 individuals were included. Prior to incarceration, 6,116 (12.5%) had a psychiatric hospitalization, 8,837 (18.1%) had an MHA-related ED visit, and 15,866 (32.4%) had an MHA-related outpatient visit. Of the individuals with any MHA-related service prior to incarceration, 60.4% did not receive outpatient care from a psychiatrist prior to incarceration and 65.6% did not receive MHA-related care during incarceration. Conclusion Despite a high prevalence of mental illness and addiction among people experiencing incarceration, access to and use of MHA-related care prior to and during incarceration is poor. Increasing the accessibility and use of MHA-related services throughout the criminal justice pathway is warranted.

Download Full-text

Patterns and predictors of mental health service use and mental illness among older and younger adults in the United States.

Psychological Services ◽

10.1037/1541-1559.5.3.275 ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 5 (3) ◽

pp. 275-294 ◽

Cited By ~ 47

Author(s):

Bradley E. Karlin ◽

Michael Duffy ◽

David H. Gleaves

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

United States ◽

Mental Illness ◽

Mental Health Service ◽

Health Service ◽

Service Use ◽

The United States ◽

Mental Health Service Use ◽

Health Service Use ◽

Younger Adults

Download Full-text

Do community mental health teams caring for severely mentally ill patients adjust treatments and services based on patients’ antisocial or criminal behaviours?

European Psychiatry ◽

10.1016/j.eurpsy.2009.07.009 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 24 (6) ◽

pp. 373-379 ◽

Cited By ~ 14

Author(s):

S. Hodgins ◽

A. Cree ◽

F. Khalid ◽

K. Patel ◽

R. Sainz-Fuentes ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Mental Illness ◽

Mentally Ill ◽

Aggressive Behaviour ◽

Service Use ◽

Substance Misuse ◽

Illicit Drug ◽

Antisocial Behaviour ◽

Positive Symptoms ◽

Severely Mentally Ill

AbstractBackgroundAntisocial behaviour is common among patients with severe mental illness (SMI) requiring hospitalisation.AimTo determine whether differential treatments and services are provided to patients with SMI who engage in antisocial behaviour.MethodA random sample of 161 inpatients with SMI were recruited from general adult wards and assessed at baseline and two years later. Information on symptoms, aggressive behaviour, substance misuse, and service use was obtained from patients and clinical files.ResultsPast antisocial behaviours were not associated with type or intensity of treatments and services. Severity of positive symptoms, aggressive behaviour, and illicit drug use were positively associated with the frequency of CMHT contact, but not with the type of CMHT, type of medication, or other treatments and benefits.ConclusionsWhile the frequency of meetings with CMHTs increased with the severity of antisocial behaviours, no specific treatments were provided to patients with SMI engaging in antisocial behaviours.

Download Full-text

Shame, perceived knowledge and satisfaction associated with mental health as predictors of attitude patterns towards help-seeking

Epidemiology and Psychiatric Sciences ◽

10.1017/s204579601300036x ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 23 (2) ◽

pp. 177-187 ◽

Cited By ~ 42

Author(s):

N. Rüsch ◽

M. Müller ◽

V. Ajdacic-Gross ◽

S. Rodgers ◽

P.W. Corrigan ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Mental Illness ◽

Help Seeking ◽

Latent Profile Analysis ◽

Service Use ◽

Psychiatric Symptoms ◽

Mental Health Service Use ◽

Psychiatric Medication ◽

Perceived Knowledge ◽

Professional Help

Aims.To examine stigma- and knowledge-related barriers to help-seeking among members of the general population.Methods.In a representative survey of young to middle-aged Swiss adults (n = 8875), shame about a potential own mental illness, perceived knowledge about and satisfaction with one's mental health, psychiatric symptoms and attitudes towards help-seeking were assessed.Results.A latent profile analysis of all participants yielded two groups with different attitudes towards help-seeking. Relative to the majority, a one-in-four subgroup endorsed more negative attitudes towards seeking professional help, including psychiatric medication, and was characterized by more shame, less perceived knowledge, higher satisfaction with their mental health, younger age, male gender and lower education. Among participants with high symptom levels (n = 855), a third subgroup was reluctant to seek help in their private environment and characterized by high symptoms as well as low satisfaction with their mental health.Conclusions.Shame as an emotional proxy of self-stigma as well as poor subjective mental health literacy may be independent barriers to help-seeking. Interventions to increase mental health service use could focus on both variables and on those individuals with more negative views about professional help, in the general public as well as among people with a current mental illness.

Download Full-text

Trends in mental health service use by age among adults with serious mental illness

Annals of Epidemiology ◽

10.1016/j.annepidem.2018.11.011 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 30 ◽

pp. 71-73

Author(s):

Natasha E. Latzman ◽

Heather Ringeisen ◽

Valerie L. Forman–Hoffman ◽

Breda Munoz ◽

Shari Miller ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Mental Illness ◽

Mental Health Service ◽

Health Service ◽

Serious Mental Illness ◽

Service Use ◽

Mental Health Service Use ◽

Health Service Use

Download Full-text

A profile of Australian mental health carers, their caring role and service needs: results from the 2012 Survey of Disability, Ageing and Carers

Epidemiology and Psychiatric Sciences ◽

10.1017/s2045796018000446 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 28 (6) ◽

pp. 670-681 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

S. Diminic ◽

E. Hielscher ◽

M. G. Harris ◽

Y. Y. Lee ◽

J. Kealton ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Mental Illness ◽

Physical Health ◽

Emotional Support ◽

Service Use ◽

Adult Child ◽

Household Survey ◽

Care Recipient ◽

Service Needs ◽

Formal Service

AbstractAimsPlanning mental health carer services requires information about the number of carers, their characteristics, service use and unmet support needs. Available Australian estimates vary widely due to different definitions of mental illness and the types of carers included. This study aimed to provide a detailed profile of Australian mental health carers using a nationally representative household survey.MethodsThe number of mental health carers, characteristics of carers and their care recipients, caring hours and tasks provided, service use and unmet service needs were derived from the national 2012 Survey of Disability, Ageing and Carers. Co-resident carers of adults with a mental illness were compared with those caring for people with physical health and other cognitive/behavioural conditions (e.g., autism, intellectual disability, dementia) on measures of service use, service needs and aspects of their caring role.ResultsIn 2012, there were 225 421 co-resident carers of adults with mental illness in Australia, representing 1.0% of the population, and an estimated further 103 813 mental health carers not living with their care recipient. The majority of co-resident carers supported one person with mental illness, usually their partner or adult child. Mental health carers were more likely than physical health carers to provide emotional support (68.1%v.19.7% of carers) and less likely to assist with practical tasks (64.1%v.86.6%) and activities of daily living (31.9%v.48.9%). Of co-resident mental health carers, 22.5% or 50 828 people were confirmed primary carers – the person providing the most support to their care recipient. Many primary mental health carers (37.8%) provided more than 40 h of care per week. Only 23.8% of primary mental health carers received government income support for carers and only 34.4% received formal service assistance in their caring role, while 49.0% wanted more support. Significantly more primary mental health than primary physical health carers were dissatisfied with received services (20.0%v.3.2%), and 35.0% did not know what services were available to them.ConclusionsResults reveal a sizable number of mental health carers with unmet needs in the Australian community, particularly with respect to financial assistance and respite care, and that these carers are poorly informed about available supports. The prominence of emotional support and their greater dissatisfaction with services indicate a need to better tailor carer services. If implemented carefully, recent Australian reforms including the Carer Gateway and National Disability Insurance Scheme hold promise for improving mental health carer supports.

Download Full-text

Residential Transience Among Adults: Prevalence, Characteristics, and Association with Mental Illness and Mental Health Service Use

Community Mental Health Journal ◽

10.1007/s10597-019-00385-w ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 55 (5) ◽

pp. 784-797

Author(s):

Cristie Glasheen ◽

Valerie L. Forman-Hoffman ◽

Sarra Hedden ◽

Ty A. Ridenour ◽

Jiantong Wang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Mental Illness ◽

Mental Health Service ◽

Health Service ◽

Service Use ◽

Mental Health Service Use ◽

Health Service Use

Download Full-text

How and when does mental illness stigma impact treatment seeking? Longitudinal examination of relationships between anticipated and internalized stigma, symptom severity, and mental health service use

Psychiatry Research ◽

10.1016/j.psychres.2018.06.036 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 268 ◽

pp. 15-20 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Annie B. Fox ◽

Brian N. Smith ◽

Dawne Vogt

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Mental Illness ◽

Symptom Severity ◽

Service Use ◽

Mental Illness Stigma ◽

Mental Health Service Use ◽

Health Service Use ◽

Treatment Seeking ◽

Internalized Stigma ◽

Longitudinal Examination

Download Full-text

Children of adults with severe mental illness: mental health, help seeking and service use

Psychiatric Bulletin ◽

10.1192/pb.28.2.43 ◽

2004 ◽

Vol 28 (2) ◽

pp. 43-46 ◽

Cited By ~ 19

Author(s):

Vicki Cowling ◽

Ernest S. L. Luk ◽

Cristea Mileshkin ◽

Peter Birleson

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Mental Illness ◽

Help Seeking ◽

Parental Education ◽

Service Use ◽

Mental Health Problems ◽

Case Managers ◽

Service Utilisation ◽

Childhood Mental Health ◽

Scale Scores

Aims and MethodWe aimed to determine the prevalence of childhood mental health problems in children of parents registered with an Australian area mental health service, and to study the parents' help-seeking and service use for their children. Parents were recruited through their case managers, and asked to complete the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ), the Service Utilisation Questionnaire and the Help-seeking Questionnaire.ResultsA quarter of the children were in the clinical range of the SDQ total scores, with high sub-scale scores. However, 63% of the parents reported reluctance to seek help, and 19% reported not using services.Clinical ImplicationsChildren of parents with mental illness are at higher risk of childhood psychiatric disorders. Assessment of the child at the time of referral of the parent is an opportunity for problem identification, parental education, and early intervention.

Download Full-text

Attitudes of the Vietnamese Community towards Mental Illness

Australasian Psychiatry ◽

10.3109/10398569309081340 ◽

1993 ◽

Vol 1 (3) ◽

pp. 110-112 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

On Lien

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Mental Illness ◽

Health Services ◽

Psychiatric Disorder ◽

Refugee Camps ◽

Adult Group ◽

Community Based ◽

High Prevalence ◽

Vietnamese Community

There are approximately 155,000 Vietnamese born people in Australia, with 46,000 in Victoria. The majority came to Australia as refugees. Many were subjected to the reality or threat of war, persecution, imprisonment, discrimination, economic deprivation, violence, the loss of family or other major stressors. These stressors have included the hazards of the escape, lengthy stays in refugee camps and, on arrival in Australia, lack of familiarity with English and with the culture. The Vietnamese Community in Australia was expected to have a high prevalence of mental illness, especially when newly arrived from refugee camps. In a study published in 1986 as “The Price of Freedom” [1] 32% of the young Vietnamese adult group was found to suffer from psychiatric disorder. At follow-up two years later, the prevalence of psychiatric disorder, without any major intervention, had dropped to 5–6%, a prevalence lower than that in the Australian-born community. In addition, the Vietnamese community's use of mental health services (inpatient and community-based) is lower than that of any other ethnic group.

Download Full-text