Mental Health Utilization Among College Aged Men and Women: A Dual-Site Comparison

1. Mental Health Utilization Among College Aged Men and Women: A Dual-Site Comparison Sean Stickney Soc. 574 4/28/05

2. Overview • Introduction • Gender is a critical determinant of health behavior – including mental health. • Exploration of gender differences in use of mental health-related services (MHS) has blossomed in recent years. • (SAMHSA) 1987 – women = 60% more likely to use mental health services than men. • (SAMHSA) 2000 = 66% of mental health users were women. • Men had higher average spending levels when using mental health care services (> 80%).

3. Background • Why gender disparities exist in seeking mental health care? • Women have higher prevalence rates of psychiatric /psychological disorders than do men. • Emotional problems are more distressing to women. • Women differ in their propensity to use services. • Arguments don’t explain how men and women differ • ‘Need’ – acted upon differently by men/women • ‘Receptivity’ – contextual appropriateness

4. Background (cont.) ‘Receptivity’ • Mental health care in still stigmatized in the U.S. • Men are socially conditioned to minimize mental health needs. (i.e. – ‘unmanly’) • What about socio-cultural or regional differences? • Mental health use tied to social and political climates, financial resources, accessibility • California versus Indiana (divergent mental health ideologies of receptivity)

5. Present research Aim • To explore gender differences in the mental health utilization practices of college-aged men and women within different academic settings. Study objectives • Describe the statistical trends regarding mental health use for both UCLA and Purdue. • Compare/contrast utilization rates among both schools. • Compare/contrast utilization rates among and across genders within each university.

6. Research Hypotheses 1. College-aged individuals from UCLA would utilize MHS in greater amounts than people from Purdue. 2. Women would utilize proportionately greater amounts of MHS when compared to men.

7. Methods • Descriptive analysis (proportions/percentages) • Mental health utilization statistics within most recent academic year stratified by types of services used & gender. • Coding rubric • Collapsed all treatment categories into: A. Depression/anxiety conditions B. Body image / disordered eating C. Psychiatric services D. Family / child support services E. ‘Other’ – group counseling, referrals, mental health education / promotion efforts.

8. Results • Utilization trends UCLA = 460/ 38598 (1.2%) used MHS • 297 women (64%) • 163 men (35%) • When substance use/abuse factored out = 71% women, 29% men used more ’ traditional ‘ MHS. Purdue = 335 / 38847 (.86%) used MHS • 186 women (55%) • 149 men (44%)

9. Results 64 55 35 44

10. Results • 29% of male MHS users at UCLA sought more traditional types of counseling. • 24.4% of male MHS users at Purdue sought care for more traditional mental health services.

11. Results • Women • Women at UCLA used proportionately more MH care services than did women from Purdue.

12. Results • Comparisons of MHS use use among genders • Across most categories women used more MHS than men.

13. Conclusions / Limitations • MH use = UCLA > Purdue – men from Purdue utilized proportionately higher amounts of MHC for substance use/abuse than both UCLA men and women generally. • Women used more MH care than men • Regional differences existed • Could have explored individual psycho-social perceptions of mental health service utilization among/within genders.