Influence of mental health perception and willingness-to-pay towards intention-to-support inclusion of mental health coverage in health insurance schemes: a cross sectional study in Malaysia

Abstract

Background: Across the globe, there have been many mental health disorders and one of the suggested ways of financing mental health disorders is mental health insurance coverage. This study is aimed at determining the influence of mental health perception (MHP) and willingness- to-pay (WTP) towards supporting inclusion of mental health coverage in health insurance schemes in Malaysia.Methods: A validated questionnaire was utilized for this study whereby three variables of the study (MHP, WTP and intention-to-support) were measured. The structured questionnaire contained closed ended questions where present of dichotomous (yes/no), multiple choice questions and 7-point Likert scale questions. 800 questionnaires were distributed to target respondents through online platforms. The inclusion criteria were local citizen of Malaysia, those who gave consent to take part in the study, literate in English, aged 21 years old and above. The data were analysed utilizing statistical package for the social sciences (SPSS) software version 23.0.Results: More than half (87.7%) of the respondents agreed to pay for monthly mental health insurance premiums. Among those who were unwilling to pay (12.4%), were unable to afford the mental health insurance. Similarly, majority of respondents had favourable perception of mental health disorders. Correlation and regression analysis revealed that both WTP and influence of MHP were significant predictors of intention to support.Conclusions: WTP and influence of MHP are important predictors that should be highlighted in creating equitable mental health care for all.