ArticleBMC psychiatry2022
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.
Article in BMC psychiatry, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 11 papers.
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Who cites it
11 citing papers in PubMed.
- Methodological guidance on clinical prediction models in mental health research.Psychological medicine · 2026Review
- Perceived and Unmet Mental Health Care Needs Among Individuals with Chronic Illness: A Latent Class and Bayesian Approach.The Psychiatric quarterly · 2026Article
- Development, Feasibility, and Appreciation of the Collaborative Integrated Depression Care (IDECA) Project in Flanders, Belgium.Journal of clinical medicine · 2026Article
- Assessing Unmet Need for Mental Healthcare Among Adults in Germany - Results from a Nationwide Study with Data Linkage.International journal of public health · 2026Article
- Eating disorders and psychiatric comorbidity among first-year university students in Sweden: Prevalence and risk factors.Journal of eating disorders · 2025Article
- Gaps in psychiatric care before and after the COVID-19 pandemic among patients with depression using electronic health records.Psychiatry research · 2025Article
- Professional mental health aid for children, adolescents, and young adults during COVID-19 in Flanders, Belgium.Frontiers in public health · 2025Article
- Perceived Higher Unmet Care Needs among Adults in Permanent Supportive Housing.Administration and policy in mental health · 2024Article
- Profiles of Emergency Department Users with Psychiatric Disorders Related to Barriers to Outpatient Care.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2024Article
- An exploration of suicidal ideation and attempts, and care use and unmet need among suicide-ideators in a Belgian population study.BMC public health · 2023Article
- Building Bridges between Pharmacy and Psychosocial Care: Supporting and Referring Patients with Psychosocial Needs in a Pilot Study with Community Pharmacists.International journal of integrated careArticle
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Authors and funding
5 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundMental health problems often remain undetected and untreated. Prior research suggests that this is mainly due to a lack of need-perception and attitudinal barriers. The aim of this study is to examine unmet mental health needs using both a clinically assessed and a self-perceived approach in a Belgian province.
methodsA cross-sectional survey study with a weighted representative sample of 1208 individuals aged 15 - 80 years old was carried out in 2021 in the province of Antwerp (Belgium). Mental health needs were defined as a positive symptom screening for depression (PHQ-9), anxiety (GAD-7) or alcohol abuse (AUDIT-C and CAGE), combined with experiencing significant dysfunction in daily life. Also 12-month health care use for mental health problems, self-perceived unmet mental health needs and reasons for not seeking (extra) help were assessed. Logistic regression analyses were used to explore the predictors of mental health problems, health care use, and objective and subjective unmet mental health needs.
resultsOne in five participants had a positive screening on one of the scales, of whom half experienced dysfunction, leading to a prevalence of 10.4% mental health needs. Among those, only half used health care for their mental health, resulting in a population prevalence of 5.5% clinically assessed unmet mental health needs. Fourteen percent of the total sample perceived an unmet mental health need. However, more women and younger people perceived unmet needs, while clinically assessed unmet needs were higher among men and older people. One in six of the total sample used health care for their mental health, most of whom did not have a clinically assessed mental health need. Motivational reasons were most often endorsed for not seeking any help, while a financial barrier was the most important reason for not seeking extra help.
conclusionsThe prevalence of unmet mental health needs is high. Assessed and perceived (unmet) mental health needs are both relevant and complementary, but are predicted by different factors. More research is needed on this discrepancy.
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