Social pathways to care: how community-based network ties shape the health care response of individuals with mental health problems

PurposeMental health research has powerfully documented inequities related to characteristics, such as ethnicity and gender. Yet how and where disparities like unmet need occur have been more elusive. Drawing from a now modest body of research that deployed the Network Episode Model (NEM), we examine how individuals create patterns of response to mental health problems, influenced by the culture and resources embedded in their social networks. MethodsThe Person-to-Person Health Interview Study (P2P; N similar to 2,700, 2018-2021) provides representative, community-based, NEM-tailored data. Both descriptive, latent class and multinomial regression analyses mark mental health care-seeking patterns, including individuals consulted and activities used, as well as the influence of the structure and cultural content of social networks. ResultsLatent class analysis detected five pathways with good fit statistics. The Networked General Care Path (37.0%) and The Kin General Care Path (14.5%) differ only in whether friends are activated in using the general care sector. The Networked Multi-Sector Care Path (32.5%) and The Saturated Path (12.6%) involve family, friends, and both general and specialty care with only the latter expanding consultation to coworkers and clergy. The Null Path (3.3%), or no contacts, is not used as perceived problem severity increases. Network size and strength are associated with the more complex pathways that activate ties, respectively. Trust in doctors is associated with pathways that include specialty providers but not others at work or church. Race, age, and rural residence have specific pathway effects, while gender has no significant impact. ConclusionsSocial networks propel individuals with mental health problems into action. Tie strength and trust produce care responses that are fuller and more targeted. Considering the nature of homophily, results also suggest that majority status and college education are clearly implicated in networked pathways. Overall, findings support community-targeted rather than individually based efforts to increase service use.

Automated summary

This study utilized the Network Episode Model to analyze individuals' response patterns to mental health problems, and found that the culture and resources embedded in social networks have an impact on individuals' behavior. The findings suggest that network size, tie strength, and trust in doctors influence individuals' attention to and treatment of mental health problems. These findings support the importance of community-targeted mental health services.