Women who suffer from chronic physical illnesses are more likely to use mental health services than men with the same conditions.
The study also found that women also seek these services about six months earlier than men, St. Michael's Hospital reported.
"Chronic physical illness can lead to depression," said Doctor Flora Matheson, a scientist in the hospital's Centre for Research on Inner City Health. "We want to better understand who will seek mental health services when diagnosed with a chronic physical illness so we can best help those who need care."
Researchers looked at people suffering from one of four conditions - diabetes, high blood pressure, asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease - and found that women sufferers were 10 percent more likely to use mental health services.
The study looked at data from the Canadian Community Health Survey as well as physician claims and inpatient medical records from ICES. Mental illness service use was defined as at least one visit to a physician or specialist to treat mental health problems such as "depression, anxiety, smoking addiction or marital difficulties," outlined the study.
"ICES is an independent, non-profit organization that uses population-based health information to produce knowledge on a broad range of health care issues. Our unbiased evidence provides measures of health system performance, a clearer understanding of the shifting health care needs of Ontarians, and a stimulus for discussion of practical solutions to optimize scarce resources," reported the hospital.
Results suggest women are more comfortable seeking mental help than men and that women may experience more severe symptoms than men, causing them to seek help earlier.
"Our results don't necessarily mean that more focus should be paid to women, however," said Doctor Matheson. "We still need more research to understand why this gender divide exists."
