Access to Internet-based mental health resources in a nationally representative sample of Canadian active duty military personnel

Abstract

Introduction: The Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) have made access to mental health care a priority. Access to care is typically conceptualized as in-person interactions with health care providers; however, it can also include virtual health care services. Virtual health care is health services delivered through an Internet platform. Internet-based interventions are promising for increasing mental health care access among CAF personnel; however, increased reliance on Internet technology for service provision may create disparate access. Accordingly, a recent nationally representative sample of CAF Regular Forces personnel was examined with the following aims: (1) provide estimates of different types of Internet use for mental health-related problems and contrast such estimates with usage rates for other forms of professional and paraprofessional care; (2) examine the relationship between Internet use for mental health-related problems, professional mental health service use, and perceived need for care; and (3) identify individual predictors of Internet use for mental health-related problems. Methods: Prevalence estimates were computed for all variables of interest and multivariate logistic regression analyses served to identify predictors of Internet use. Results: The results indicate that the Internet is more readily accessed for mental health care than other forms of paraprofessional services but remains less commonly accessed than in-person mental health care providers. Results also indicate that the Internet is primarily used to obtain information about symptoms or where to get help. Discussion: Findings suggest few individual barriers exist for accessing the Internet and Internet-based technologies may be a viable alternative for increasing access to mental health resources among CAF personnel and their families.