The relationship between mood disorder diagnosis and experiencing an unmet health-care need in Canada: findings from the 2014 Canadian Community Health Survey

Background Despite Canada's universal health-care system, millions of Canadians experience unmet health-care needs (UHCN). People with mood disorders may be at higher risk of UHCN due to barriers such as stigma and gaps in health-care services. Aim We aimed to examine the relationship between having a diagnosed mood disorder and experiencing UHCN using a recent, nationally representative survey. Methods Using the 2014 Canadian Community Health Survey, we used multivariate logistic regression to estimate the association between mood disorder and UHCN in the past 12 months, adjusting for sociodemographic variables and health status. Results Among 52,825 respondents, 11.8% reported UHCN. Respondents with a diagnosed mood disorder were more likely to report UHCN [adjusted odds ratio (OR) 1.61, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.38, 1.89]. Among respondents with a regular doctor, people with mood disorders were still more likely to report UHCN (OR 1.63, 95% CI 1.38, 1.93). Sensitivity analyses using propensity score and missing data imputation approaches resulted in similar estimates. Conclusions Adults diagnosed with a mood disorder are more likely to report UHCN in the past year, even those with a regular doctor. Our findings suggest that barriers beyond physician attachment may impact access to care for people with mood disorders.