Who uses psychological services in Canada?

Using data collected by Statistics Canada in the 1994-1995 Population Health Survey, we provide a profile of consumers of psychological services. Approximately 2.15% of those surveyed indicated that they had consulted a psychologist in the 12 months prior to the survey; in population estimates, this is equivalent to 515,000 Canadians. The demographic profile of consumers of psychological services is consistent with patterns of utilization of mental health services found in other studies. That is, consumers were more likely to be female, to be middle-aged and to be separated, divorced or widowed. Those with higher education and higher income were more likely to receive psychological services. Consumers of psychological services reported poorer health status than the general population, a higher number of past and recent stressors, higher levels of distress, and were more likely to have received psychotropic medication. However, the majority of those likely to meet criteria for a diagnosis of depression did not receive psychological services. Another important theme emerging from the study was the apparent underutilization of psychological services, especially by those Canadians with the greatest mental health needs.