ArticleInternational journal for equity in health2020
Unmet mental health needs in the general population: perspectives of Belgian health and social care professionals.
Article in International journal for equity in health, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 13 papers.
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Who cites it
13 citing papers in PubMed, 30 citations in OpenAlex.
- Beyond the sum of its parts: a scoping review on complex mental health care needs.Social psychiatry and psychiatric epidemiology · 2026Review
- Making sense of mental health in later life: social network dynamics and service access.International journal of qualitative studies on health and well-being · 2025Article
- Mental health service coverage and gaps among adults in Europe: a systematic review.The Lancet regional health. Europe · 2025Review
- Bridging Gaps: Provider Perspectives on Integrating Systems for Health Equity.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2025Article
- Review
- Brazilian scale for evaluation of mental health care needs (CuidaSM): evidence of validity in primary health care.PloS one · 2025Article
- Unmet need for mental health care among adolescents in Asia and Europe.European child & adolescent psychiatry · 2024Article
- Socioeconomic inequality as a predictor of unmet health needs in the older adult population of Serbia.Frontiers in public health · 2024Article
- The evolution of the subjective well-being of the general population during the COVID-19 pandemic period: the case of Belgium.Scientific reports · 2023Article
- Psychological distress, non-medical use of prescription medications, and perceived unmet mental health care needs: a cross-sectional study of Ontario students.Social psychiatry and psychiatric epidemiology · 2023Article
- Experiences with Family Planning amongst Persons with Mental Health Problems: A Nationwide Patient Survey.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2023Article
- Clinically assessed and perceived unmet mental health needs, health care use and barriers to care for mental health problems in a Belgian general population sample.BMC psychiatry · 2022Article
- Positive mental health for all serving the under-served.Industrial psychiatry journalReview
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Authors and funding
5 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundAn unmet mental health need exists when someone has a mental health problem but doesn't receive formal care, or when the care received is insufficient or inadequate. Epidemiological research has identified both structural and attitudinal barriers to care which lead to unmet mental health needs, but reviewed literature has shown gaps in qualitative research on unmet mental health needs. This study aimed to explore unmet mental health needs in the general population from the perspective of professionals working with vulnerable groups.
methodsFour focus group discussions and two interviews with 34 participants were conducted from October 2019 to January 2020. Participants' professional backgrounds encompassed social work, mental health care and primary care in one rural and one urban primary care zone in Antwerp, Belgium. A topic guide was used to prompt discussions about which groups have high unmet mental health needs and why. Transcripts were coded using thematic analysis.
resultsFive themes emerged, which are subdivided in several subthemes: (1) socio-demographic determinants and disorder characteristics associated with unmet mental health needs; (2) demand-side barriers; (3) supply-side barriers; (4) consequences of unmet mental health needs; and (5) suggested improvements for meeting unmet mental health needs.
conclusionsFindings of epidemiological research were largely corroborated. Some additional groups with high unmet needs were identified. Professionals argued that they are often confronted with cases which are too complex for regular psychiatric care and highlighted the problem of care avoidance. Important system-level factors include waiting times of subsidized services and cost of non-subsidized services. Feelings of burden and powerlessness are common among professionals who are often confronted with unmet needs. Professionals discussed future directions for an equitable mental health care provision, which should be accessible and targeted at those in the greatest need. Further research is needed to include the patients' perspective of unmet mental health needs.
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