Mental Health Service Utilization Among Vulnerable Populations

Although vulnerable populations are disproportionately affected by mental disorders, they face significant barriers when it comes to access and service utilization. Research has shown that these groups utilize services less frequently than the general population and remain with significant unmet needs. Barriers are the main factors that contribute to mental health service underutilization among these populations. Some of these barriers are stigma, financial constraints, geographical barriers, systematic discrimination and historical trauma, language barriers, and lack of competent care. Considering the complexity of these factors, there is a need to design effective strategies to address these barriers. Incorporating mental care into primary practice is one of the measures that can be used to address barriers and increase service utilization. There is also a need to incorporate technology into care. Recognizing the role that mental health plays on overall health and well-being can enable health systems and other stakeholders to put measures in place to address the existing barriers that undermine service use. The aim of this review is to investigate how vulnerable groups utilize mental services, including the barriers that hinder utilization and measures that can address these barriers.