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Which women seek help for their psychiatric problems?
S E Romans-Clarkson1, V A Walton, D J Dons
1Department of Psychological Medicine, Otago Medical School, Dunedin.
The New Zealand Medical Journal
|September 26, 1990
Summary
Most adult women with psychiatric disorders do not seek treatment. Help-seeking behavior for mental health issues is low, especially among young women, indicating a need for better community awareness.
Area of Science:
- Psychiatry
- Public Health
- Sociology
Background:
- Minor psychiatric morbidity affects a significant portion of the adult female population.
- Understanding help-seeking behaviors is crucial for effective mental healthcare delivery.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the help-seeking patterns of adult women experiencing minor psychiatric morbidity.
- To identify barriers and facilitators to accessing mental health services.
Main Methods:
- A random community survey was conducted using electoral rolls in Otago.
- A subsample (n=314) of women was interviewed in their homes using structured diagnostic interviews.
- Sociodemographic data and information on help-seeking were collected.
Main Results:
- 7.8% of women exhibited symptoms of depressive, anxiety, or phobic disorders.
- Only 35% of affected women sought help from any source.
- General practitioners were the primary source of help (86%), but 13% had not visited their GP in six months.
- Alternative therapies were rarely used.
Conclusions:
- The majority of women with psychiatric illnesses are not receiving necessary treatment.
- Low help-seeking rates, particularly among young women, suggest poor community awareness of mental health issues.
- There is a need to improve mental health literacy and access to care for women.