The British Journal of Psychiatry has published the results of a study on health care use for mental health problems by people who have suicidal ideation. In most of these cases, help is not sought.
The researchers used the data from 55,302 respondents in 21 countries that participated in the WHO World Mental Health Surveys. This is a global psychiatric-epidemiological study of the general population, including the Netherlands. The same instrument was used in all the countries in order to establish the prevalence of mental health disorders and suicidality. In the Netherlands, the project was managed by the Trimbos Institute and the University of Groningen.
Results
Two-fifths of the respondents with suicidality had sought help for mental health problems in the year prior to the interview (from 17% in the poorer non-western countries to 56% in western countries).
In most cases care was received from either a GP (22%), psychiatrist (15%) or non-psychiatrists (15%). Those who had attempted suicide were more likely to have received care than those with only suicidal ideation or plans. Reasons for not seeking help were: no need (58%), attitudes such as preferring to solve the problem oneself (40%) and concrete barriers such as finances (15%). Only 7% cited stigma as a reason for not seeking help.
On the whole, the majority of people with suicidal ideation, plans or attempts do not receive any help for their mental health problems. This is especially the case in the poorer non-western countries.
It was concluded that account should be taken of culture-specific factors that might affect the process of seeking help, in order to improve the care for mental health problems.
Bruffaerts R, Demyttenaere K, Hwang I, Chiu WT, Sampson N, Kessler RC, Alonso J, Borges G, de Girolamo G, Graaf R de, Florescu S, Gureje O, Hu C, Karam EG, Kawakami N, Kostyuchenko S, Kovess-Masfety V, Lee S, Levinson D, Matschinger H, Posada-Villa J, Sagar R, Scott KM, Stein DJ, Tomov T, Viana MC, Nock MK. Treatment of suicidal people around the world. British Journal of Psychiatry 2011; 199: 64-70.[Summary]
More information: Ron de Graaf
