TY - JOUR
T1 - The role of social structural factors in treatment of mental health disorder
AU - Lo, Celia C.
AU - Cheng, Tyrone
PY - 2012/10
Y1 - 2012/10
N2 - Background Mental disorder implies a biopsychosocial condition, so adequate mental health treatment involves not just medical and pharmacological care but also psychotherapy or counseling.Aims The present study determined how social structural factors might explain accessing of primary care providers and specialty care providers in response to mental disorder, hypothesizing that the two broad types of care differ as to the likelihood of offering minimally adequate treatment.Method We analyzed data from the cross-sectional study called "20002001 Healthcare for Communities", employing five imputed data sets to handle missing data and defining minimally adequate treatment of mental disorder as "at least four counseling sessions at any provider and prescribed medication".Results While mental disorder can be treated in primary care or specialty facilities, our results show that minimally adequate treatment (as defined) is most likely to be obtained via specialty care.Conclusion For individuals with mental disorder, accessing only primary care creates social inequity, because care from specialty facilities is comparatively more adequate.
AB - Background Mental disorder implies a biopsychosocial condition, so adequate mental health treatment involves not just medical and pharmacological care but also psychotherapy or counseling.Aims The present study determined how social structural factors might explain accessing of primary care providers and specialty care providers in response to mental disorder, hypothesizing that the two broad types of care differ as to the likelihood of offering minimally adequate treatment.Method We analyzed data from the cross-sectional study called "20002001 Healthcare for Communities", employing five imputed data sets to handle missing data and defining minimally adequate treatment of mental disorder as "at least four counseling sessions at any provider and prescribed medication".Results While mental disorder can be treated in primary care or specialty facilities, our results show that minimally adequate treatment (as defined) is most likely to be obtained via specialty care.Conclusion For individuals with mental disorder, accessing only primary care creates social inequity, because care from specialty facilities is comparatively more adequate.
KW - Mental disorder treatment
KW - Primary care
KW - Social structural factors
KW - Specialty care
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84866387424&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.3109/09638237.2012.664303
DO - 10.3109/09638237.2012.664303
M3 - Article
C2 - 22548321
AN - SCOPUS:84866387424
SN - 0963-8237
VL - 21
SP - 430
EP - 438
JO - Journal of Mental Health
JF - Journal of Mental Health
IS - 5
ER -