Associations of health insurance coverage, mental health problems, and drug use with mental health service use in US adults: an analysis of 2013 National Survey on Drug Use and Health.

OBJECTIVE

To estimate the prevalence of mental health service use among US adults, examine the associations of mental health service use with health insurance coverage, mental health problems and drug use, and detect health disparities.

METHODS

This was a cross-sectional study with 5,434 adults receiving mental health service out of 37,424 adult respondents from the 2013 National Survey on Drug Use and Health. Weighted univariate and multiple logistic regression analyses were used to estimate the associations of potential factors with mental health service use.

RESULTS

The overall prevalence of mental health services use was 14.7%. Our results showed that being female, aging, having a major depressive episode, serious psychological distress, and illicit drug or alcohol abuse/dependence were positively associated with mental health service use; whereas being African American, Asian or Hispanic ethnicity, married, and having any form of insurance were negatively associated with mental health service use . Stratified analysis by insurance types showed that Medicaid/CHIP, CHAMPUS, and other insurance were positively associated with mental health service use.

CONCLUSIONS

Health insurance coverage, mental health problems, and drug abuse or dependence were associated with mental health service use in US adults. Furthermore, adults with different insurances had disparities in access of mental health service.