Effects of Suicidal Ideation on Unmet Mental Health Needs Among Young Adults in Canada

Although there has been an increase in public health campaigns and initiatives aimed at preventing suicidal behaviors, suicide rates in Canada appear to be increasing particularly among young adults. Yet, few studies in Canada have examined the effect of suicidal ideation on unmet mental health needs among young adults. The objective of this study is to examine the association between suicidal ideation and unmet mental health needs, over and above predisposing, enabling, and need factors. This study uses data on 3393 young adults aged 20–29 years from the 2012 Canadian Community Health Survey-Mental Health (CCHS-MH). Binary logistic regression analysis was conducted with unmet mental health needs as the outcome variable and suicidal ideation as the main explanatory variable. Of the 3393 respondents, 8.8% had unmet mental health needs and 16.5% had suicidal ideation. In the multivariate logistic regression model, respondents who experienced suicidal ideation had 2.55 times higher odds of having unmet mental health needs. Respondents were also more likely to have unmet mental health needs if they are female, experienced childhood adversity, or were diagnosed with mental health disorders or cannabis abuse or dependence. Each additional unit increase in social support decreased the odds of unmet mental health needs by 11%. Community peer support programs for young adults may be beneficial in enhancing access to mental health particularly for at-risk individuals.