What is the impact of socio-economic inequalities on the use of mental health services?

Full Abstract

Amartya Sen, who received the Nobel Prize for Economics, has demonstrated that the incidence of deprivation, in terms of capability, can be surprisingly high even in the most developed countries of the world. The study of socio-economic inequalities, in relation to the utilisation of health services, is a priority for epidemiological research. Socio-economic status (SES) has no universal definition. Within the international research literature, SES has been related to social class, social position, occupational status, educational attainment, income, wealth and standard of living. Existing research studies have shown that people from a more deprived social background, with a lower SES, are more likely to have a higher psychiatric morbidity. Many studies show that SES influences psychiatric services utilization, however the real factors linking SES and mental health services utilisation remain unclear. In this editorial we discuss what is currently known about the relationship between SES and the use of mental health services. We also make an argument for why we believe there is still much to uncover in this field, to understand fully how individuals are influenced by their personal socio-economic status, or the neighbourhood in which they live, in terms of their use of mental health services. Further research in this area will help clarify what interventions are required to provide greater equality in access to mental health services.

Learn Faster Today Improve your study skills

Author information

Author/s: Amaddeo, Francesco (F); Jones, Julia (J);

Affiliation: Section of Psychiatry and Clinical Psychology, Department of Medicine and Public Health, University of Verona, Policlinico G.B. Rossi, P.le L. Scuro 10, 37134 Verona, Italy. francesco.amaddeo(-atsign-)univr.it

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Editorial

Journal: Epidemiologia e psichiatria sociale (Epidemiol Psichiatr Soc), published in Italy. (Language: eng)

Reference: -2007 Jan-Mar; vol 16 (issue 1) : pp 16-9

Dates: Created 2007/04/12; Completed 2007/05/31;

PMID: 17427600, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 12/26/2008)

Sourced from the National Library of Medicine. Abstract text and other information may be subject to copyright.

External Links for this article (including full text providers, if available):

Click Electronic Full-text Provider Links to see options for finding the electronic full text links to this article. Note there may be a subscription or fee required for access to the full text. See our FAQ for information on finding FREE full text articles.

This article may also be located in paper journal collections available in many libraries. Use the Journal and Publication Information above to find the full article.

MeSH headings (categories)

This article was linked to the MESH Headings shown below.

Health Services Accessibility - economics; statistics & numerical data
Humans
Mental Disorders - economics; therapy

Mental Disorders - economics; therapy
Mental Health Services - economics; utilization
Socioeconomic Factors

These are the highest related articles currently in the database:

See 100+ related articles.