Did mental health service use differ across ethnocultural groups in Ontario?

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Mental disorders are a leading cause of disability and early mortality. The study aimed to describe and compare psychosocial indicators and mental health service use among ethnoculturally diverse Ontarians.

Researchers conducted a cross-sectional analysis of the Ontario Health Study pilot investigation. From March 2009 to July 2010, residents were mailed invitations to one of three assessment centres: urban, rural and northern sites. Participants were interviewed by a nurse and completed a questionnaire on a touchscreen kiosk. The questionnaire covered sociodemographic characteristics, depressive symptoms using the CES-D, anxiety using the GAD-7, social support using the Lubben Social Network Scale, stressful life events and mental health service use.

Of 8,235 residents who participated, 6,652 (82.4%) self-reported their ethnocultural background as White, 225 (2.8%) as South Asian, 222 (2.8%) as East Asian, 214 (2.7%) as Southeast Asian, 197 (2.4%) as Black and 28 (0.3%) as Aboriginal. Participants from these ethnocultural minority groups were matched to White participants based on sociodemographic characteristics.

Black participants reported significantly more stressful life events than White participants (p = .04), particularly death (p < .05), divorce (p = .002) and financial difficulties (p < .001). East Asian participants reported significantly less social support than their White counterparts (p < .001); this finding was not confounded by measurement variance. Mental health service use was significantly lower in all ethnocultural minority groups except Aboriginal participants compared with White participants (p = .001). The authors concluded that several prominent ethnocultural minority groups in Ontario have a high burden of psychosocial distress, and many of their members are not accessing available mental health services.