Assessing Perceived Need for Mental Healthcare Among Adults in Germany

To describe the prevalence and distribution of perceived need for mental healthcare among adults in Germany and examine its association with more objective indicators of need as well as mental health literacy.

We used data from 6,558 adults randomly sampled from a health insurance company as well as nationally representative survey data from 10,676 adults. Prevalence estimates were calculated, also by sex, age and education. Bivariate and multivariate associations between perceived need and sociodemographic characteristics, psychopathological symptoms, functional impairment and F-diagnoses as well as mental health literacy were examined.

Approximately one-sixth of adults perceived a need for mental healthcare in the previous 12 months. Perceived need was associated with female sex (bivariate association only), younger age, high educational attainment, psychopathological symptoms, mental health-related functional impairment and mental health literacy. Those with perceived need were also twice as likely to have a documented F-diagnosis than those without.

Perceived need should be monitored within mental health surveillance to inform healthcare planning from a patient perspective and address the mental health treatment gap.