Cited by 86Mental Health Treatment and AccessHealth disparities and outcomesPublic Health and Social Inequalities

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

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Amaddeo, Francesco, Jones, Julia·2007·Epidemiologia e Psichiatria Sociale

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.

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  • Research on mental disorder treatment quality finds that low-SES patients are significantly more likely than other patients to receive lower-quality treatment.

    “The small amount of research that exists on mental disorder treatment quality finds that low-SES patients are significantly more likely than other patients to receive lower-quality treatment (Amaddeo & Jones, 2007; Young & Rabiner, 2015).”

    From Socio-economic variations in the mental health treatment gap for people with anxiety, mood, and substance use disorders: Results from the WHO World Mental Health (WMH) surveys (2018) · cites this paper as Amaddeo & Jones, 2007

    The Introduction and ‘How SES Affects Mental Health Service Use’ discuss psychiatric morbidity, service use, and possible barriers to access for people with lower SES. A search for treatment quality and quality of care found no passage reporting that low-SES patients receive significantly lower-quality treatment. The indexed passages provide no page numbers. (LLM, conf=0.76)

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Research works printed but not linked: 3

  1. Curtis S., Almog M., Congdon P. & Ellerman R. (2006). County varia- tion in the use of inpatient and ambulatory care in New York State. Paper presented at the Association of American Geographers Annual Conference, March 2006, Chicago, USA.
  2. Jarman B., Hirsch S., White P. & Driscoll R. (1992). Predicting psychi- atric admission rates. British Medical Journal 304, 1146-1151.
  3. Townsend, P. (1987). Deprivation. Journal of Social Policy 16,125-146.

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Authors
Amaddeo, F., & Jones, J.
Affiliations
University of Verona (IT)
Venue
Epidemiologia e Psichiatria Sociale
Published
2007-03
Volume
16
Issue
1
Pages
16-19
ISSN
  • 1121-189X (ISSN-L)
  • 2038-1816
OpenAlex
W2107284233
Cited by
86
References
36
Citations by year
2025: 2 · 2024: 1 · 2023: 5 · 2022: 2 · 2020: 1 · 2018: 2 · 2017: 38 · 2016: 2 · 2015: 3 · 2014: 3 · 2013: 3 · 2012: 4
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Epidemiologia e Psichiatria Sociale (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • INFM-OAR (INFN Catania) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Mental Health Treatment and Access
  • Social Sciences › Health › Health disparities and outcomes
  • Social Sciences › Health › Public Health and Social Inequalities
Keywords
socioeconomic disparities, socioeconomic status, capability approach, Amartya Sen, psychiatric morbidity, neighborhood effects, access to mental health care, health disparities
MeSH terms
Mental Disorders, Health Services Accessibility, Humans, Mental Health Services, Socioeconomic Factors

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