Socioeconomic and Demographic Determinants of Mental Health across Canadian Communities

Abstract

Background Many factors contribute to health. This study uses community level data to estimate the impact of socioeconomic and demographic factors as well as physical health on community mental health outcomes. Method Multiple regression analysis was used to estimate the impact of determinants on community mental health outcomes for men and women using community level data from up to 113 health regions covering almost the entire population in Canada. Results Study findings indicate that communities with higher proportions of aboriginal people have greater mental illness hospitalization. Minorities have poorer perceived mental health but better objective measures of less mental illness hospitalization and self injury hospitalization. Also, communities with higher proportion of low income persons show poorer results for many objective mental health outcomes. Higher prevalence of lone parents in a community is associated with greater perceived life stress and greater mental illness hospitalizations for men. Poor physical health is also a predictor of poor mental health. Conclusion Improving the living conditions of aboriginal people and other low income people could reduce mental illness hospitalizations in a community, helping minorities the majority of whom are immigrants with their settlements in their host communities could improve perceived mental health and life stress, and helping lone parents who are men with counseling services to better cope with their situations could reduce their perceived life stress and mental illness hospitalization. Also, improving the physical health of individuals across communities could have a positive impact on mental health outcomes across communities.