Therapy, pills and unmet needs for financial reasons: socioeconomic inequalities and inequities in access to mental health care in Spain 2014–2020

Abstract

Objectives To measure socioeconomic-related inequality in perceived unmet needs for financial reasons for mental health care in Spain and to assess socioeconomic-related inequity in access to mental health professionals and psychotropic drugs.

Methods We used data from the Spanish adult sample of the European Health Interview Survey for 2014 and 2020. Corrected concentration indices were used to measure socioeconomic-related inequalities in unmet needs for financial reasons and inequity in access to mental health care. Social class, based on the occupation of the breadwinner, was used as a proxy of socioeconomic status. A decomposition analysis was performed to determine the variables that explain inequalities and to identify inequity in access.

Results Unmet need for mental health care for financial reasons significantly concentrate on the worse-off, except for women in 2020. A reduction of inequality is observed along the study period. Socioeconomic disadvantage is associated with lower access to mental health consultations, despite also with higher need. This pro-rich inequity is significant for women in 2014, and for both sexes—although much higher for females—in 2020. In contrast, we found pro-poor inequity in women’s access to psychotropic drugs in 2020, suggesting partial substitution of specialized health care with psychotropic drugs prescribed in primary care for the financially worse-off.

Conclusions Barriers to accessing specialized mental health care should be reduced for those in need, particularly for disadvantaged women. A better access to therapy could also help to reduce their consumption of psychotropic drugs. Addressing access inequities requires different strategies for men and women, as the relevance of their determinants varies by gender.