Medical Mistrust and Willingness to Use Mental Health Services Among Black Adults

What is it about?

Mistrust and willingness to use mental health care services can be nuanced in their association. We found that at low levels of medical mistrust (GBMMS scores ≤3), an increase in mistrust was significantly associated with an increase in the probability of seeking mental health care (rate ratio [RR]=1.55, p<0.001). At high levels of medical mistrust (GBMMS scores >3), an increase in mistrust was associated with a decrease in care seeking (RR=0.74, p<0.001). Similar patterns were observed for medical trust. Low levels of medical mistrust among Black adults was counterintuitively associated with an increase in willingness to seek care from a mental health professional.

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Photo by Alex Shute on Unsplash

Photo by Alex Shute on Unsplash

Why is it important?

This indicates that there may be a healthy amount of skepticism that supports health engagement, but too high of mistrust may have a negative impact.

Perspectives

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While our health care systems may have goals to reduce mistrust, validating and understanding the source and nature of mistrust among individuals or groups may promote increased engagement in health services. However, a desire to eliminate mistrust, without addressing or validating it as a natural response to lived experience, may be futile and ineffective.

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