Racial and gender disparities in reasons for seeking mental healthcare in Canada

Although mental health problems are widespread, access to services remains limited. This study aims to examine the reasons for seeking mental healthcare among racially diverse individuals in Canada. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 553 participants (52% women) from diverse racial backgrounds, including Arab ( n = 84), Asian ( n = 147), Black ( n = 89), Indigenous ( n = 67), White ( n = 104), and mixed racial identity participants ( n = 62). Participants completed a sociodemographic form and measures assessing reasons for mental healthcare seeking and major experiences of racial discrimination. Separate logistic regression models for each outcome were performed. Anxiety (58.8%), depression (50.3%), stress/burnout (41.8%) were the most frequently reported reasons for seeking mental healthcare. Bivariate logistic regression showed significant racial disparities in seeking mental healthcare related to anxiety, with Arab (odds ratio [OR] = 0.33, p < 0.001), Asian (OR = 0.41, p = 0.001), and Black participants (OR = 0.52, p = 0.032) having lower odds of seeking mental healthcare compared with White participants. Indigenous participants had higher odds of seeking mental healthcare for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)-related concerns (OR = 3.21, p = 0.001), whereas Asian participants had lower odds of seeking mental healthcare for PTSD-related concerns (OR = 0.42, p = 0.022). Gender differences were also observed across several seeking mental health care reasons. These findings indicate that mental health service utilization is linked to both racial and gender factors, highlighting the need for targeted strategies to improve equitable access to mental healthcare across diverse populations.