The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA

Abstract #64342

Anne E. Rhodes, PhD¹, Susan J Bondy, PhD², and R. Liisa Jaakkimainen, MD, MSc². (1) St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto and the Departments of Psychiatry and Public Health Sciences, University of Toronto, 30 Bond Street, Toronto, ON M5B 1W8, Canada, 416-864-6060 x 2693, rhodesa@smh.toronto.on.ca, (2) Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences, 2075 Bayview Avenue, Toronto, ON M4N 3M5, Canada

The purpose of this study is to determine whether depression is associated with an increasing level of contact with physicans for mental health reasons in a system of univeral medical insurance coverage. Survey responses from the Ontario portion of the 1996/97 National Population Health Survey in Canada were individually linked with administrative health are records. 96.5% agreed to the link and 23,063 (62.5%)of Ontarians 12 years of age and over were successfully linked. The sample did not differ from the original sample. Forty-four percent of persons with depression saw a physician for a mental health reason. Of this group, equal proportions were seen by a general medical physician or a psychiatrist. However, general medical physicians also saw more persons at lower levels of distress. Household income was not associated with either type of physician use; however education was significant. There maybe an imbalance between the proportion of persons with depression seen by general medical physicians and psychiatrists.

Learning Objectives:

• To learn whether depresion is associated with an increase use of physician resources within a system of universal medical insurance coverage.
• To discuss other determinants of care.

Keywords: Access to Health Care, Depression

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.