IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jijerp/v20y2023i7p5425-d1117481.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

A Mixed-Methods Investigation of Facilitators to Accessing and Utilising Mental Health Services amongst Sri Lankan Australians

Author

Listed:
  • Amanda Daluwatta

    (Centre for Mental Health, School of Health Sciences, Swinburne University of Technology, Melbourne, VIC 3122, Australia)

  • Kathryn Fletcher

    (Centre for Mental Health, School of Health Sciences, Swinburne University of Technology, Melbourne, VIC 3122, Australia)

  • Chris Ludlow

    (Department of Psychological Sciences, School of Health Sciences, Swinburne University of Technology, Melbourne, VIC 3122, Australia)

  • Ariane Virgona

    (Department of Psychology, Counselling and Therapy, School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe University, Melbourne, VIC 3086, Australia)

  • Greg Murray

    (Centre for Mental Health, School of Health Sciences, Swinburne University of Technology, Melbourne, VIC 3122, Australia
    Department of Psychological Sciences, School of Health Sciences, Swinburne University of Technology, Melbourne, VIC 3122, Australia)

Abstract

Many individuals with mental health conditions avoid, delay, discontinue, or do not seek mental health services and treatments, despite the existence of evidence-based treatments and support methods. Little is known about the barriers to mental health service utilisation for Sri Lankan Australians, and there is no research on factors that facilitate access for this group. Using quantitative and qualitative methods, this study explored the perspectives of Sri Lankan Australians ( N = 262) on the facilitators of mental health service utilisation. Participants rated a set of 18-items (Facilitator Set) and 7 public health interventions (Intervention Set) in relation to their capacity to improve the uptake of mental health services. Participants also completed two open-ended questions about the enablers to seeking professional mental health care. Descriptive statistics were used to summarise quantitative findings, while open-text responses were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. The Facilitator Set demonstrated that trust in the provider and their confidentiality processes, positive relationships with mental health professionals, and the community having positive attitudes towards seeking help were the primary facilitators to seeking professional help. The Intervention Set suggested that raising community awareness of mental health conditions and providing public stigma reduction interventions may increase access to care. Themes identified in the open-ended responses included access to culturally safe and responsive services and clinicians, improved accessibility and affordability of services, trust, and a community-based approach to increasing mental health literacy and addressing stigma beliefs. Within its limitations, the present study’s findings suggest that providing culturally safe and responsive care, dispelling mental health stigma, and increasing knowledge of mental health conditions within Sri Lankan Australian communities are potential facilitating factors that would enable Sri Lankan Australians to seek and use mental health services. Implications for clinical care and future research are discussed.

Suggested Citation

  • Amanda Daluwatta & Kathryn Fletcher & Chris Ludlow & Ariane Virgona & Greg Murray, 2023. "A Mixed-Methods Investigation of Facilitators to Accessing and Utilising Mental Health Services amongst Sri Lankan Australians," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(7), pages 1-14, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:20:y:2023:i:7:p:5425-:d:1117481
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/20/7/5425/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/20/7/5425/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Planey, Arrianna M. & Smith, Shardé McNeil & Moore, Stephanie & Walker, Taylor D., 2019. "Barriers and facilitators to mental health help-seeking among African American youth and their families: A systematic review study," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 101(C), pages 190-200.
    2. Nelsensius Klau Fauk & Anna Ziersch & Hailay Gesesew & Paul Ward & Erin Green & Enaam Oudih & Roheena Tahir & Lillian Mwanri, 2021. "Migrants and Service Providers’ Perspectives of Barriers to Accessing Mental Health Services in South Australia: A Case of African Migrants with a Refugee Background in South Australia," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(17), pages 1-21, August.
    3. Amanda Daluwatta & Dushan Peiris & Kathryn Fletcher & Chris Ludlow & Greg Murray, 2022. "Can Sri Lankan Australians Recognise Depression? The Influence of Acculturation, Age and Experiences with Depression on Recognition," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(22), pages 1-13, November.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Lillian Mwanri & Nelsensius Klau Fauk & Anna Ziersch & Hailay Abrha Gesesew & Gregorius Abanit Asa & Paul Russell Ward, 2022. "Post-Migration Stressors and Mental Health for African Migrants in South Australia: A Qualitative Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(13), pages 1-15, June.
    2. Qingjun Zhao & Meijing Song & Hanrui Wang, 2022. "Voting with Your Feet: The Impact of Urban Public Health Service Accessibility on the Permanent Migration Intentions of Rural Migrants in China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(22), pages 1-20, November.
    3. Nyamwange Gideon & Otieno Rose & Okumu Sheba, 2023. "Determination of the Prevalence of Help-Seeking Behaviours for Depression among Students in Public Universities in Kenya," International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science, International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS), vol. 7(9), pages 2062-2070, September.
    4. Moody, Myles D. & Browning, Wesley R. & Hossain, Monir & Clay, Olivio J., 2023. "Vicarious experiences of major discrimination, anxiety symptoms, and mental health care utilization among Black Adults," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 316(C).
    5. Robyn Feiss & Melissa M. Pangelinan, 2021. "Relationships between Physical and Mental Health in Adolescents from Low-Income, Rural Communities: Univariate and Multivariate Analyses," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(4), pages 1-16, February.
    6. Klimentina Krstanoska-Blazeska & Andre Renzaho & Ilse Blignault & Bingqin Li & Nicola Reavley & Shameran Slewa-Younan, 2023. "A Qualitative Exploration of Sources of Help for Mental Illness in Arabic-, Mandarin-, and Swahili-Speaking Communities in Sydney, Australia," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(10), pages 1-16, May.
    7. Fareeda Abo-Rass & Sarah Abu-Kaf & Ora Nakash, 2022. "Barriers to Mental Health Service Use among Palestinian-Arab Women in Israel: Psychological Distress as Moderator," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(19), pages 1-12, October.
    8. Keyser, Daniel & Ahn, Haksoon, 2024. "African American Parents’ experience with early childhood mental health and child welfare services: Racism and seeking understanding," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 158(C).
    9. Nelsensius Klau Fauk & Hailay Abrha Gesesew & Alfonsa Liquory Seran & Christopher Raymond & Roheena Tahir & Paul Russell Ward, 2022. "Barriers to Accessing HIV Care Services in Host Low and Middle Income Countries: Views and Experiences of Indonesian Male Ex-Migrant Workers Living with HIV," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(21), pages 1-14, November.
    10. Angelina Bolyta Inthavong & Davoud Pourmarzi, 2024. "Characteristics of Sexual Health Programs for Migrants, Refugees, and Asylum Seekers: A Scoping Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 21(8), pages 1-14, July.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:20:y:2023:i:7:p:5425-:d:1117481. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.