Why do some Mexicans with psychosis risk symptoms seek mental health care and others do not?

ABSTRACT

Help-seeking barriers differ according to the sociocultural context and country-specific mental healthcare system. More research is needed in low-middle-income countries, where early psychosis programs are still scarce, and the mental health care gap is wide. This study aims to explore predisposing, enabling, and need factors associated with mental health service utilization in 481 Mexicans self-reporting psychosis risk symptoms, as well as differences between those who were currently mental health service users (MHSU) and those who were not (non-MHSU). Participants responded to self-reported measures through an online survey. The factors associated with an increased probability of using mental health services were having an occupation, having a medium/high socioeconomic status, an intention to seek help from a mental health professional, fewer help-seeking barriers, moderate/severe anxious symptoms, higher distress associated with psychosis risk symptoms and social functioning impairment. Findings provide relevant information for designing more effective strategies to improve help-seeking, early identification, and timely treatment delivery in Mexico. The need to generate strategies focused on reducing stigma, enhancing psychosis literacy in the community, and increasing the identification of emerging signs of psychosis in primary healthcare professionals is highlighted, mainly when co-occurring with other psychiatric symptoms.