Determinants of Unmet Mental Healthcare Needs of Single Adults Who Are Homeless or Vulnerably Housed
Publication: Canadian Journal of Community Mental Health
13 April 2018
Abstract
Persons who are homeless experience higher levels of mental illness, unmet mental healthcare needs, and physical healthcare needs than the general population. This study aimed (1) to determine the reasons contributing to having unmet mental healthcare needs (UMHCN) and (2) to examine the determinants of UMHCN among a representative sample of adults who are homeless or vulnerably housed in three Canadian cities (N=1190). Almost a quarter (23.3%) of the sample reported UMHCN in the past year. The reported reasons for having UMHCN pertained especially to the availability (31.5%), accommodation (22.1%), and acceptability (21.3%) of services. Age, city, and need-for-care variables were associated with UMHCN in multivariate analysis. Implications of the findings for policy and program planning are discussed.
Les personnes sans-abri présentent des niveaux plus élevés de maladie mentale, de besoins de soins de santé et de besoins non comblés de soins de santé mentale que la population générale. Cette étude visait (1) à déterminer les raisons des besoins non comblés des soins de santé mentale (BNCSM) et (2) à examiner les déterminants des BNCSM auprès d›un échantillon représentatif d›adultes sans-abri ou logés de façon précaire dans trois villes canadiennes (N = 1190). Près d›un quart (23,3%) de l›échantillon a rapporté des BNCSM lors de l›année passée. Les raisons principales des BNCSM portaient sur la disponibilité (31,5%), l’accommodement (22,1%), et l›acceptabilité (21,3%) des services. L’âge, la ville et les besoins de soins étaient les variables associées aux BNCSM en analyse multivariée. Les implications des résultats pour la planification des services et le développement des politiques sont discutées.
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Canadian Journal of Community Mental Health
Volume 36 • Number 3 • November 2017
Pages: 41 - 57
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Version of record online: 13 April 2018
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Arnaud Duhoux, Tim Aubry, John Ecker, Rebecca Cherner, Ayda Agha, Matthew J. To, Stephen W. Hwang, and Anita Palepu. 2017. Determinants of Unmet Mental Healthcare Needs of Single Adults Who Are Homeless or Vulnerably Housed. Canadian Journal of Community Mental Health.
36(3): 41-57. https://doi.org/10.7870/cjcmh-2017-028
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