The Impact of Community‐Level Social and Economic Factors on Healthcare Access Among Individuals With Mental Illness

Aims: We examined how community‐level socioeconomic deprivation and residential stability impact healthcare access among a sample of individuals with mental illness. Methods: We linked five years of the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS; 2013–2017) with community‐level data, drawing a sample of adults with mental illness in the United Sates ( N = 5444). Descriptive statistics and bivariate and multivariable logistic regression models are presented. Results: Socioeconomic deprivation was negatively associated with access to a usual source of care and positively associated with delaying or forgoing prescription medication. Residential stability was positively associated with having a usual source of care and negatively associated with forgoing or delaying needed care and prescription medication. Residential stability remained negatively associated with delayed or forgone healthcare in adjusted models. Conclusion: Community‐level factors are important determinants of healthcare access above and beyond individual‐level predictors. Efforts to improve healthcare access among individuals with mental illness may be optimized by also targeting broader social and economic contexts.