TY - JOUR
T1 - Seeking help for mental health problems outside the conventional health care system
T2 - Results from the European Study of the Epidemiology of Mental Disorders (ESEMeD)
AU - Sevilla-Dedieu, Christine
AU - Kovess-Masféty, Viviane
AU - Haro, Josep Maria
AU - Fernández, Anna
AU - Vilagut, Gemma
AU - Alonso, Jordi
AU - Angermeyer, Matthias C.
AU - Bernert, Sebastian
AU - Demyttenaere, Koen
AU - Bruffaerts, Ronny
AU - Brugha, Traolach S.
AU - De Girolamo, Giovanni
AU - Polidori, Gabriella
AU - De Graaf, Ron
AU - Ormel, Johan
AU - Lépine, Jean Pierre
AU - Gasquet, Isabelle
AU - Katz, Steven J.
AU - Kessler, Ronald C.
PY - 2010/9
Y1 - 2010/9
N2 - Objective: In certain countries, it is not uncommon to turn to professionals outside the conventional health care system for psychological problems. As this situation is not well documented in Europe, we assessed use of nonconventional care for mental health in 6 European countries. Method: A cross-sectional survey was conducted in representative samples of noninstitutionalized adults in 6 European countries. Participants (n = 8796) completed a survey, which included, among other items, the Composite International Diagnostic Interview 3.0 and in-depth questions about lifetime consultations for mental health problems. Results: Among the respondents (n = 2928) who reported having already sought help in their lifetime for psychological problems (20.0%), 8.6% turned to complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) providers, such as chiropractors and herbalists, and a similar proportion (8.4%) to religious advisers such as ministers, priests, or rabbis. Only a small proportion (2.9%) consulted only these professionals for their problems. CAM providers were more frequently used in the Netherlands (13.5%) and Germany (9.4%), while religious advisers were more often consulted in Italy (12.6%) and Germany (11.6%). Multivariate analyses confirmed differences between countries and revealed that people turning to religious advisers tended to be older, foreign born, and with alcohol problems, whereas those consulting CAM providers were younger, wealthier, and more frequently depressed. Conclusions: In Europe, patients who turn to CAM therapists and those who seek help from religious advisers for psychological problems are not exactly the same. In addition, these professionals are not consulted frequently in most countries, and are almost always associated with more traditional follow-up when used.
AB - Objective: In certain countries, it is not uncommon to turn to professionals outside the conventional health care system for psychological problems. As this situation is not well documented in Europe, we assessed use of nonconventional care for mental health in 6 European countries. Method: A cross-sectional survey was conducted in representative samples of noninstitutionalized adults in 6 European countries. Participants (n = 8796) completed a survey, which included, among other items, the Composite International Diagnostic Interview 3.0 and in-depth questions about lifetime consultations for mental health problems. Results: Among the respondents (n = 2928) who reported having already sought help in their lifetime for psychological problems (20.0%), 8.6% turned to complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) providers, such as chiropractors and herbalists, and a similar proportion (8.4%) to religious advisers such as ministers, priests, or rabbis. Only a small proportion (2.9%) consulted only these professionals for their problems. CAM providers were more frequently used in the Netherlands (13.5%) and Germany (9.4%), while religious advisers were more often consulted in Italy (12.6%) and Germany (11.6%). Multivariate analyses confirmed differences between countries and revealed that people turning to religious advisers tended to be older, foreign born, and with alcohol problems, whereas those consulting CAM providers were younger, wealthier, and more frequently depressed. Conclusions: In Europe, patients who turn to CAM therapists and those who seek help from religious advisers for psychological problems are not exactly the same. In addition, these professionals are not consulted frequently in most countries, and are almost always associated with more traditional follow-up when used.
KW - Mental problems
KW - Nonconventional professionals
KW - Use of services
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M3 - Article
C2 - 20840806
AN - SCOPUS:77956915174
VL - 55
SP - 586
EP - 597
JO - Canadian Journal of Psychiatry
JF - Canadian Journal of Psychiatry
SN - 0706-7437
IS - 9
ER -