Barriers to Accessing Mental Healthcare

Finally, we explored the factors associated with not accessing formal treatment/support for past mental health challenges, only among participants who identified as ever having or experiencing mental health challenges (n=437). We sought to determine the differences in demographics, as well as sentiments between those who had ever sought help (n=250) and those who had never sought help (n=187).

After controlling for age, gender, sexual orientation, residence status, occupation, income, educational attainment and religion, we found that those who were earning less than S$2999 were 1.42 times more likely than those who did not earn an income, and those who had university educational attainment were 1.46 time more likely than those who had secondary and below educational attainment, to ever seek help.

After controlling for age, gender, sexual orientation, residence status, occupation, income, educational attainment and religion, we found that those who agreed with the statement that “I know how to seek out subsidised mental health services in Singapore” were 1.46 more likely than those who didn’t, and those who agreed to the statement that “I think that the standard of private mental healthcare in Singapore is satisfactory” were 1.35 more likely than those who didn’t to have ever sought help. 

Conversely, those who agreed with the statement “I would claim for the use of mental health services through work insurance, if covered” were 0.84 times as likely, while those who agreed with the statement “My understanding of mental health conditions have largely been influenced by mainstream media” were 0.76 times as likely as those who didn’t to have ever sought help.