Barriers to care for short- and long-term occurrences of non-specific psychological distress.

Objectives: The goal of this study was to investigate relationships between occurrences of self-reported non-specific psychological distress, sociodemographic characteristics, health care utilization, and barriers to care.

Study Design: Demographic information, health-related utilization, and non-specific psychological distress are derived from the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) data for the period of 2000-2014.

Methods: NHIS data from 2000 to 2014 were used in weighted multivariate regression methods to identify patterns of mental health utilization and barriers to care in adults for two self-reported indicators of non-specific psychological distress.

Results: Relationships were observed with all health care barriers and some health care utilization measures for those who reported short-term occurrences of non-specific psychological distress; one health care utilization variable had a significant association with long-term occurrences of non-specific psychological distress.

Conclusions: More than 10 million American adults live with a mental illness or disorder, and disparities in receiving health care continue to persist despite targeted public health initiatives. Self-reported data, addressing both short- and long-term occurrences of non-specific psychological distress can better identify undiagnosed or unmet mental health needs.