Factors Influencing Perceived Mental Health Service Needs, Self-Reported Utilization, and Barriers to Care among Health System Faculty and Staff

J Occup Environ Med. 2025 Aug 5. doi: 10.1097/JOM.0000000000003518. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: This study examines barriers to mental health care and factors influencing perceived need and service use in medical faculty and staff.

METHODS: Faculty and staff at a large urban healthcare system completed online surveys regarding mental health status, perceived need for mental health services, and barriers to access.

RESULTS: The sample included 2,421 participants (44.2% staff; 55.8% faculty). The most common barrier to care was limited time (60.9%). Faculty were significantly more likely than staff to report privacy concerns (33.9% vs. 10.4%). Among those who perceived a need for mental health services, demographic factors (age, race/ethnicity, gender, role, and partner status) and psychiatric symptoms (suicidality, anxiety, depression, and physical violence) were associated with not utilizing mental health services.

CONCLUSIONS: indings highlight the need for accessible, destigmatized mental health interventions, improved outreach, and education on healthcare worker treatment privacy.

PMID:40762959 | DOI:10.1097/JOM.0000000000003518