Barriers to Access to Mental Health Services

Early detection and treatment of mental health issues is important and helps ensure
that the lives of individuals are improved. However, social barriers continue to prevent access
to mental health services. Among the main barriers to access to mental health services are
costs associated with access to mental health services, stigma, and low mental health literacy.
Age is also a factor that can have an impact on access to mental health services. A study done
in the year 2017 found that young people are less likely to seek help when confronted with
mental health issues (Coates, Saleeba, & Howe, 2019). Age plays a role in the type of
emotional support that individuals are willing to seek. Young people are more likely to
experience mental health issues. As individuals grow older, they are likely to seek access to
mental health services. Young people, on the other hand, are more likely to share their mental
health issues with close family members. The greatest barrier to access to mental health
services by young people is the fear of embarrassment. There is a need to ensure that mental
health services are youth-friendly to eliminate perceived barriers (Coates, Saleeba, & Howe,
2019). Young people feel that access to mental health services is a preserve of the elderly in
society. Young people are also not mental-health literate, and this limits their access to
mental health services.
Female mental health patients are more likely to access mental health services
compared to their male counterparts. Men are more likely to confide to close family members
as opposed to seeking help. Men are unlikely to accept that they are facing mental health
issues compared to their female counterparts. Stigma plays a role in help-seeking behavior in
both males and females (Coates, Saleeba, & Howe, 2019). The two groups are afraid of the
embarrassment associated with mental health issues.
References

Coates, D., Saleeba, C., & Howe, D. (2019). Mental Health Attitudes and Beliefs in a
Community Sample on the Central Coast in Australia: Barriers to Help
Seeking. Community Mental Health Journal, 55(3), 476–486. https://doi-org.proxy-
library.ashford.edu/10.1007/s10597-018-0270-8