Transportation and other social needs as markers of mental health conditions

Summary & key facts

Researchers combined records from a free social-help helpline with phone surveys from about 2,000 low-income adults who smoke. They checked who had been told they had mental health conditions and what kinds of social help people asked for, like help with housing, food, healthcare or transportation. People who reported mental health conditions were more likely to ask for help with transportation, and also more likely to ask for help with food, healthcare and personal safety. The strongest and most consistent link was with transportation. The study cannot prove cause and the group was a specific group of low-income smokers in one state, so the findings may not apply to everyone.

Key facts:

• The study used data from about 2,000 adult daily smokers in Missouri who called a social-help helpline asking for help with needs like housing, food, transportation and healthcare.
• Callers made about 3,300 total help requests, which is roughly 1.7 requests per person, and most requests fit into 12 standard categories.
• Participants answered questions about whether a doctor had ever told them they had mental health conditions such as depression, anxiety, PTSD, bipolar disorder, drug or alcohol use disorder, ADHD, or schizophrenia, and they completed a two-
• People who reported past mental health conditions were more likely to request help with transportation, food, healthcare and personal safety than people who did not report those conditions.
• The strongest and most consistent association was between having a mental health condition and requesting transportation help, even after the researchers adjusted for other possible factors.
• Because the data are from the same time period, the study cannot say whether mental health problems caused the social needs, or whether social needs contributed to mental health problems.
• The participants were a specific group of low-income smokers planning to quit in one U.S. state, so the results might not apply to people who are not similar to this group.
• The authors suggested that community agencies that provide rides or that offer mental health services could consider working together to better connect people to both kinds of help.

Topics

Food Security and Health in Diverse Populations Health disparities and outcomes Homelessness and Social Issues

Categories

General Health Professions Health Professions Health Sciences

Tags

Business Environmental health Medicine Mental health Psychiatry Psychology

Conditions & symptoms

ADHD Anxiety Depression PTSD Substance abuse disorder Anxiety or worry Sadness or low mood