Mental health service-seeking behavior in post-Soviet Ukraine

Abstract As the Ukrainian health care system undergoes reform, severe treatment gaps persist for those in need of mental health treatment. This study expands the limited knowledge of factors underlying treatment-seeking behavior. We sought to understand: What encourages or deters Ukrainians from seeking mental health treatment? In addition, among those who chose to seek treatment, what influences the type of treatment sought (conventional or alternative)? Alternative treatment is defined as treatment or counseling provided by spiritual advisers or healers, and conventional treatment is defined as formal treatment or counseling provided by mental health professionals or other health professionals. Using the 2002 Ukrainian version of the World Mental Health Composite International Diagnostic Interview—the only dataset of its kind available for a country that emerged from the former Soviet Union—this study explores the predictors of treatment-seeking behavior for mental health services. Results indicate that Ukrainians diagnosed with depressive, anxiety, or substance use related disorders are more likely to seek treatment, while those diagnosed with Intermittent Explosive Disorder are not. Current physical health issues are also associated with an increased likelihood of seeking treatment. Among treatment-seekers, individuals with stronger religious beliefs are more likely to seek alternatives than conventional forms of treatment. These findings contribute to the small body of research addressing treatment-seeking behavior and can further inform underlying patterns in treatment gaps in Ukraine.