Intention to utilize mental health and suicide prevention resources in a community sample during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic
Abstract Objective Given the stressors experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic, it is critical to identify populations with elevated mental health needs during this crisis. This study investigated demographic correlates of reported intention to utilize mental health (MH) and suicide prevention (SP)...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMC
2025-01-01
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| Series: | BMC Psychiatry |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-025-06492-1 |
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| author | Lisa J. Cohen Rawad El Hayek Benedetta Imbastaro Inna Goncearenco Sifan Zheng Megan L. Rogers Maurizio Pompilli Igor Galynker |
| author_facet | Lisa J. Cohen Rawad El Hayek Benedetta Imbastaro Inna Goncearenco Sifan Zheng Megan L. Rogers Maurizio Pompilli Igor Galynker |
| author_sort | Lisa J. Cohen |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Objective Given the stressors experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic, it is critical to identify populations with elevated mental health needs during this crisis. This study investigated demographic correlates of reported intention to utilize mental health (MH) and suicide prevention (SP) resources in a community sample during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods A sample of 1,978 adults in the United States completed an anonymous online survey between June 2020 and February 2021. Results Intent to utilize MH resources was associated with younger age, single marital status, female gender, and Hispanic vs. White race/ethnicity. Intent to utilize SP resources was associated with younger age, single marital status, and was greater among Black and Hispanic vs. White race/ethnicity. Lower education was associated with MH and SP utilizers in bivariate analysis. Indirect effects of Suicide Crisis Syndrome (SCS) symptoms were found on the association of age, gender, and marital status with MH utilization and of age, marital status, and education with SP Utilization. Conclusions Specific demographic populations demonstrate greater interest in mental health care during the COVID-19 pandemic. These help-seeking patterns can be explained in part by an elevated level of SCS symptoms, suggesting greater levels of distress were driving expressed intention to utilize service referrals. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-c1554768ebfa423e88eb68be2bf84f09 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1471-244X |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMC Psychiatry |
| spelling | doaj-art-c1554768ebfa423e88eb68be2bf84f092025-02-02T12:35:57ZengBMCBMC Psychiatry1471-244X2025-01-0125111410.1186/s12888-025-06492-1Intention to utilize mental health and suicide prevention resources in a community sample during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemicLisa J. Cohen0Rawad El Hayek1Benedetta Imbastaro2Inna Goncearenco3Sifan Zheng4Megan L. Rogers5Maurizio Pompilli6Igor Galynker7Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Mount Sinai Behavioral Health CenterDepartment of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Mount Sinai Behavioral Health CenterPsychiatry Residency Program, New York Medical College at Westchester Medical CenterDepartment of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Mount Sinai Behavioral Health CenterDepartment of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Mount Sinai Behavioral Health CenterDepartment of Psychology, Texas State UniversityDepartment of Psychiatric Sciences and Psychological Medicine, Sapienza University of RomeDepartment of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Mount Sinai Behavioral Health CenterAbstract Objective Given the stressors experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic, it is critical to identify populations with elevated mental health needs during this crisis. This study investigated demographic correlates of reported intention to utilize mental health (MH) and suicide prevention (SP) resources in a community sample during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods A sample of 1,978 adults in the United States completed an anonymous online survey between June 2020 and February 2021. Results Intent to utilize MH resources was associated with younger age, single marital status, female gender, and Hispanic vs. White race/ethnicity. Intent to utilize SP resources was associated with younger age, single marital status, and was greater among Black and Hispanic vs. White race/ethnicity. Lower education was associated with MH and SP utilizers in bivariate analysis. Indirect effects of Suicide Crisis Syndrome (SCS) symptoms were found on the association of age, gender, and marital status with MH utilization and of age, marital status, and education with SP Utilization. Conclusions Specific demographic populations demonstrate greater interest in mental health care during the COVID-19 pandemic. These help-seeking patterns can be explained in part by an elevated level of SCS symptoms, suggesting greater levels of distress were driving expressed intention to utilize service referrals.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-025-06492-1Suicide prevention, Suicide crisis syndrome, Covid-19 pandemic. |
| spellingShingle | Lisa J. Cohen Rawad El Hayek Benedetta Imbastaro Inna Goncearenco Sifan Zheng Megan L. Rogers Maurizio Pompilli Igor Galynker Intention to utilize mental health and suicide prevention resources in a community sample during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic BMC Psychiatry Suicide prevention, Suicide crisis syndrome, Covid-19 pandemic. |
| title | Intention to utilize mental health and suicide prevention resources in a community sample during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic |
| title_full | Intention to utilize mental health and suicide prevention resources in a community sample during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic |
| title_fullStr | Intention to utilize mental health and suicide prevention resources in a community sample during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic |
| title_full_unstemmed | Intention to utilize mental health and suicide prevention resources in a community sample during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic |
| title_short | Intention to utilize mental health and suicide prevention resources in a community sample during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic |
| title_sort | intention to utilize mental health and suicide prevention resources in a community sample during the first year of the covid 19 pandemic |
| topic | Suicide prevention, Suicide crisis syndrome, Covid-19 pandemic. |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-025-06492-1 |
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