Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Thesis Format

Monograph

Degree

Master of Science

Program

Epidemiology and Biostatistics

Supervisor

Dr. Kelly Anderson

2nd Supervisor

Dr. Kevin Pottie

Abstract

The rise of mental health issues in Canada underscores disparities in access to care, with many individuals avoiding or unable to obtain treatment due to social and economic barriers. Unmet mental health needs—cases where treatment is inadequate or not received—are particularly prevalent among racialized groups and immigrants. This study examines the impact of race and migration status on unmet mental health needs among individuals with poor/fair mental health or diagnosed mental health conditions. Using a modified Poisson regression, we assessed the magnitude of unmet mental health needs among Non-Racialized Foreign Born, Racialized Foreign Born, and Racialized Domestic Born individuals relative to Non-Racialized Domestic Born individuals, using data from the 2022 Mental Health and Access to Care Survey (MHACS). Racialized Foreign Born individuals had a higher magnitude of unmet needs compared to Non-Racialized Domestic Born individuals (PR: 1.12, CI:1.04-1.20). Efforts to de-stigmatize mental health care and improve accessibility are encouraged.

Summary for Lay Audience

The rise of mental health issues in Canada shows a gap in access to care. Many individuals avoid or cannot get treatment due to social and economic barriers. Unmet mental health needs are high among immigrants and racialized groups. These occur when someone has a mental health problem but does not seek treatment or feels the care they received was inadequate. This study aimed to examine how race and migration status affected unmet mental health needs among those with poor or fair mental health in Canada. Using data from the 2022 Mental Health and Access to Care Survey (MHACS), a modified Poisson regression tested for a link between race/migration status and unmet mental health needs, which focused on four groups: Racialized Foreign Born, Non-Racialized Foreign Born, Racialized Domestic Born, and Non-Racialized Domestic Born. An exploratory analysis was conducted to identify help-seeking behaviours and reasons why people did not seek mental health help, despite having an unmet mental health need across comparison groups. Then, a chi-square test checked if migration recency linked to unmet mental health needs in immigrant groups. Racialized Foreign Born individuals had the highest unmet needs when compared to Non Racialized Domestic Born individuals (PR: 1.12, CI:1.04-1.20). It was found that help seeking was low across all comparison groups, with lack of insurance coverage being the top reported reason why people did not seek mental health care. Migration recency was also significantly linked to unmet needs (p=0.007). Efforts to de-stigmatize mental health care and improve accessibility are encouraged. Future research should further explore the impact of race and migration status on mental health needs.

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

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