Socioeconomic Disparities in Unmet Need for Student Mental Health Services in Higher Education

Opportunities for pharmacists to impact student health on college campuses

“…1,2 To date, the literature regarding student health has documented inadequate education and treatment of certain conditions such as mental health, preventive care, and sexual and reproductive health services. [1][2][3] While health services such as mental health care and immunizations are available for students on campus, data indicate at-risk students do not seek help for these services due to cost, long waiting times, and other accessibility concerns. 2 Pharmacists are well-suited to provide these services to college students, although there is a paucity of published data on the impact and outcomes of pharmacist intervention(s).…”

“…Investment in accessible health care for college students can significantly enhance health on college campuses 1,2 . To date, the literature regarding student health has documented inadequate education and treatment of certain conditions such as mental health, preventive care, and sexual and reproductive health services 1‐3 .…”

“…Investment in accessible health care for college students can significantly enhance health on college campuses 1,2 . To date, the literature regarding student health has documented inadequate education and treatment of certain conditions such as mental health, preventive care, and sexual and reproductive health services 1‐3 . While health services such as mental health care and immunizations are available for students on campus, data indicate at‐risk students do not seek help for these services due to cost, long waiting times, and other accessibility concerns 2 .…”

Economics of Mental Health: Providing a Platform for Efficient Mental Health Policy

“…Several articles focused on efforts to improve mental health care for vulnerable populations [15][16][17][18]. Cullinan et al examined socioeconomic disparities in unmet need for student mental health services in higher education in Ireland [15]. The authors used three separate measures of mental health problems, namely stress, anxiety, and depression, to develop and model an indicator of unmet need [15].…”

“…Cullinan et al examined socioeconomic disparities in unmet need for student mental health services in higher education in Ireland [15]. The authors used three separate measures of mental health problems, namely stress, anxiety, and depression, to develop and model an indicator of unmet need [15]. The authors found large socioeconomic disparities in unmet need for mental health services and suggest that these disparities are driven by higher rates of mental ill-health among those from lower socioeconomic backgrounds [15].…”