Perceived Need for Care and Health Care Utilization Among Depressed and Anxious Patients With and Without Suicidal Ideation

Abstract

Abstract.Background: Information is scarce concerning the perceived needs and the amount of health-care utilization of persons with suicidal ideation (SI) compared to those without SI. Aims: To describe the needs and health care use of persons with and without SI and to investigate whether these differences are associated with the severity of the axis-I symptomatology. Method: Data were obtained from 1,699 respondents with a depressive and/or anxiety disorder who participated in the Netherlands Study of Depression and Anxiety. Persons with and without SI were distinguished. Outcome variables were perceived needs and health-care utilization. We used multivariate regression in two models: (1) adjusted only for sociodemographic variables and (2) adjusted additionally for severity of axis-I symptomatology. Results: Persons with SI had higher odds for both unmet and met needs in almost all domains and made more intensive use of mental-health care. Differences in needs and health-care utilization of persons with and without SI were strongly associated with severity of axis I symptomatology. Conclusions: Our results validate previous findings about perceived needs and health-care use of persons with SI. The results also suggest that suicidal persons are more seriously ill, and that they need more professional care, dedication, and specialized expertise than anxious and depressed persons without SI, especially in the domains of information and referral.

An exploration of suicidal ideation and attempts, and care use and unmet need among suicide-ideators in a Belgian population study

“…Another study found that differences in perceived unmet needs and health care use between persons with a common mental disorder with and without suicidal ideation were largely explained by severity of the symptomatology, as persons with suicidal ideation typically have more severe mental illness. Moreover, even when receiving mental health care, persons with suicidal ideation were more likely to perceive this care as insufficient or inadequate [ 31 ]. In 2019, a total of 46% of suicide attempters in the US reported needing mental health care but did not receive it, and this did not significantly change during the decade [ 28 ].…”

New Year’s Changes

“…Crisis is enormously grateful for the dedication and commitment of Professor Ad Kerkhof, formerly Co-Editor-in-Chief (together with Professors David Clark and John Connolly), who served as an Associate Editor of Crisis until the end of 2012 and has been an active contributor to the journal (see, for example, Kerkhof, 2012; Stringer et al., 2012). For nearly 20 years, Professor Kerkhof has been a driving force behind the journal, and there are no words that could sufficiently acknowledge the work he has done.…”