Conceptualizing mental health care utilization using the health belief model.

Abstract

This article uses the Health Belief Model (HBM; Health Education Monographs, 1974, 2:409) as a framework for explaining what factors might encourage or inhibit an individual from utilizing mental health services. TheHBM is a socio-cognitive approach that proposes that people are likely to engage in a given health-related behavior when they believe the problem could have serious consequences for daily living activities, when they believe the intervention will be effective, and when they perceive few barriers to taking action. When applied to mental health utilization, this model provides a structure for developing and evaluating programs designed to increase mental health awareness and appropriate utilization.

Mental Health Beliefs and Barriers to Accessing Mental Health Services in Youth Aging out of Foster Care

“…17 The authors developed questions and probes to address attitudes and beliefs about the threat of mental health problems, benefits of and barriers to mental health treatment, self-efficacy to access needed services, and cues to action. 17,18 Questions also addressed areas specific to the mental health needs of youth aging out of foster care, including use of psychotropic medication, transition readiness, and access barriers. 7-10 Youth also completed a 14-item questionnaire that elicited sociodemographic and foster care placement data.…”

“…The interview questions were derived from the HBM, 17 which might be limited in its ability to predict certain aspects of access and utilization for these youth. 18,33 CONCLUSION Youths' perceived need for mental health services, selfefficacy in accessing services, and access barriers influence mental health service use after aging out of foster care, despite the presence of psychosocial and communitybased transitional supports. The study findings inform the need for the development and research of new transition planning programs that facilitate use of mental health services in the context of policy changes that extend Medicaid coverage for youth aging out of foster care until the age of 26 years.…”

Childhood sexual abuse and substance abuse treatment utilization among substance-dependent incarcerated women

“…The indices were all based on retrospective recall, and there was no way to verify their accuracy. Although other investigators have necessarily used similar indices, more work needs to be done in this literature to determine uniform and valid measures of utilization (Henshaw & Freedman-Doan, 2009). Work also needs to be done to begin to look at how best to capture both extent and quality of treatment.…”

Contextual Influences and Strategies for Dissemination and Implementation in Mental Health

“…These include the person's knowledge and beliefs about the intervention, self-efficacy, individual stage of change, individual identification with the organization, among other personal attributes (Damschroder et al, 2009). More recently, and relevant to the discussion of provider adoption of EBPs, The Integrated Model (Ajzen, 1991;Grant & Wrzesniewski, 2010;Henshaw & Freedman-Doan, 2009;Kiviniemi, Bennett, Zaiter, & Marshall, 2011) has been advanced to illuminate why some people engage in particular behaviors while others do not. The Integrated Model identifies intention to perform a behavior as a direct determinant of behavior change.…”