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Objective Little is known about key factors associated with use of mental health services across the life course. This study determined key socioeconomic, social support, psychiatric, and medical predictors of services use in younger, middle, and older age. Design, Setting, Participants, Measurements The sample included 3,708 adults with DSM-IV-based mood, anxiety, and substance use disorders in the Collaborative Psychiatric Epidemiology Surveys. Key predictors of mental health services use for each age group were systematically determined by multivariable models, and exploratory analyses examining potential effect modification by race-ethnicity and gender were assessed by interaction terms. Statistical analyses included complex design-corrected and weighted logistic regression analyses that provide results generalizable to the United States. Results Psychiatric and medical issues such as prior suicidal behavior, comorbid psychiatric disorders, and perceived cognitive impairment increased odds of mental health services use in younger, middle, and older age. Chronic medical conditions also influenced services use in younger and older age, with their impact on use across age potentially modified by racial-ethnic disparities (p interaction=.01). Moreover, socioeconomic factors like marital status influenced use in middle and older age, where being divorced, separated, widowed, or never married encouraged use. The effect of marital status on use across age was also potentially modified by racial-ethnic disparities (p interaction=.02). Conclusions Key socioeconomic, social support, psychiatric, and medical predictors uniquely influence use of mental health services across the life course. These findings will help inform efforts to encourage greater services use by adults across the life course in need of care.

Objective Little is known about mental health services use by adults with prior suicidal behavior and current (12-month) psychiatric disorders. This study determined nationally representative prevalence estimates of current mental health services use by these adults, examining racial/ethnic, age, and gender differences. Methods Services use was examined across the life course using 1139 adults with history of suicidal behavior and current mood or anxiety disorders in the Collaborative Psychiatric Epidemiology Surveys (CPES, 2001–2003). Results Overall services use was 47.3%. Across the life course, African Americans showed greater use that increasingly paralleled that by white non-Hispanics and Hispanics/Others, whose use decreased in the latter half of the life course (p interaction=.01). Conclusions Adults with prior suicidal behavior and current psychiatric disorders have low mental health services use. Findings of racial/ethnic disparities in use can help identify those in need of care.

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Occurrence of new mental health (MH) disorders in patients with dementia is neglected, with next to nothing known. We examined association between dementia diagnosis and risk of new psychiatric disorders and suicide, and MH services use. We merged four national databases from US Department of Veterans Affairs. Sample included 2,529,181 patients (≥50 years) in fiscal years (FY) 2012-2013 with no MH disorders. Dementia, psychiatric disorders (mood, anxiety, substance), suicidal behavior (ideation, plan, attempt, death by suicide) were identified by ICD-9/10 codes and national suicide databases. Hazard ratios (HR) were estimated using Cox proportional hazard models, with time-to-event defined as age at first diagnosis of MH disorder during FY 2014-2016. Analyses adjusted for medical/sociodemographic factors. Compared to those without dementia, dementia patients showed roughly 2-fold increased risk of new mood (HR: 2.19, 95% Wald CI: 2.15-2.24, p<.001) or anxiety (HR: 1.56, 95% CI: 1.50-1.63, p<.001) disorders. Recent dementia diagnosis was associated with highest risk of these disorders than prior or no diagnosis; for example, patients with recent diagnosis showed 72% greater risk of anxiety disorders (HR: 1.72, 95% CI: 1.63-1.81, p<.001). Although patients with prior dementia diagnosis had lower risk of suicidal behavior, risk increased with recent dementia diagnosis. However, dementia patients with new MH disorders showed little MH services use (< 20%). Patients with dementia have increased risk of new MH disorders, especially recent dementia diagnosis. Furthermore, MH services are underutilized, highlighting critical need for integration of such services in caring for dementia patients.