Mangalore, Roshni
(2007)
Equity in mental health care in Britain.
PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.
Abstract
This thesis explores equity issues in the mental health field in Britain by initially developing a conceptual structure to define equity in mental health and then analysing data from three national psychiatric morbidity surveys to measure inequalities and inequities in both mental health and in the use of services. Standard methods are used for measuring income-related and social class-related inequalities with reference to many indicators of mental health which represent 'normative' or 'felt' needs for services. Inequity in the use of mental health services is also examined by relating use of services to needs. Analyses of income-related inequalities and equity are carried out with reference to the general population using data from the Psychiatric Morbidity Survey 2000 and with reference to the minority ethnic groups in Britain using data from the survey of Ethnic Minority Psychiatric Illness Rates in the Community 2000. Changes in social class-related inequalities and equity for the general population between 1993 and 2000 are examined using data from the Psychiatric Morbidity Surveys for those two years, in order to see if the policy and practice changes that took place since the beginning of the 1990s in the health and social care sectors had exerted any impact on equity in mental health. The three mental health surveys being cross-sectional do not permit the study of causal pathways between income and mental health. Therefore, in order to understand the links between living standards, health and health care utilisation patterns further, data from a longitudinal study, the British Household Panel Survey on general health are examined using robust theoretical and empirical models. The assumption is that many of the factors associated with general health are also associated with mental health and much of the model that links income, health and health care utilisation behaviour is likely to be relevant for mental health as well.
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