The Evidence Speaks Series is a recurring feature highlighting the latest in Advancing Health research. This series features summaries of select publications and is designed to keep media and the research community up to date with the Centre’s current research results in the health outcomes field.
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Treatment Disparities in Canadian College Students Experiencing Mental Health Problems
Understanding the Treatment Disparities in Canadian College Students Experiencing Mental Health Problems: A Regression Analysis. Pei J, Puyat J, Krausz RM, Richardson C, Munthali R, Hudec K, Wang A, Munro L, Amanvermez Y, Cuijpers P, Bruffaerts R, Vigo D. Journal of Adolescent Health (2026)
The onset of mental health disorders in youth frequently coincides with their college years. Data from the World Mental Health Surveys International College Student project showing that nearly one-third of all students exhibit signs of anxiety, mood, or substance use disorder. However, access to and utilisation of treatment in college settings remain limited. Some barriers to treatment include a preference for self-management, lack of time or knowledge, lack of perceived need, perceived cost, and privacy or stigma issues, requiring further exploration of how these barriers cause disparities in who seeks treatment.
Advancing Health scientists, Drs. Joseph Puyat, Chris Richardson, and Daniel Vigo collaborated on a study that examined sociodemographic disparities in mental health treatment among Canadian college students. The study distinguished between two critical stages of the help-seeking pathway: perceived need for treatment and service utilization based on perceived need. Using survey data from 8,581 students across four Canadian universities who met criteria for a 12-month mental health problem, the team assessed disparities based on gender, sexual orientation, race and ethnicity, age, international student status, parental education, and financial stress. They found that 79 per cent of students reported a perceived need for treatment, but only 40 per cent tried to access mental health services over a 12-month period. Disparities by gender and sexual orientation were driven largely by differences in perceived need, whereas disparities related to age, international student status, and financial stress primarily reflected barriers to service use. Racial/ethnic and parental education disparities emerged at both stages of the pathway.
The study findings showcase the bottlenecks in mental health care access and highlight a need for targeted, inclusive interventions that address the social and structural barriers to treatment.
Over-Dependence on Virtual Remote Care Associated with Worse Health Outcomes for Rural and Indigenous Kidney Disease Patients.
Virtual Care Utilization and Peritonitis Risk in Rural and Indigenous Peritoneal Dialysis Patients. Singh A, Liaqat A, Talal Khalid, Walkey K, Wheeler V, Bashir K, Elliott M, Levin A. Kidney Int. Rep. (2026)
Kidney disease is a serious medical condition where the kidneys stop being able to fully filter waste products and other toxins out of the body. The traditional treatment for kidney disease is dialysis, where a machine in the hospital works to do the filtering instead. This treatment requires travelling to a hospital, making it a very inaccessible, time-consuming, and costly course of treatment for patients living in rural areas. The rise of an at-home replacement kidney treatment called ‘peritoneal dialysis’ has made it far more accessible. Remote and virtual care options have improved this accessibility even further. However, there are concerns that when over-relied on, virtual care could lead to worse health outcomes than in-person care. One key example is episodes of something called peritonitis, where the space between the chest and the pelvis, called the peritoneum, becomes inflamed are of particular concern. Peritonitis is most commonly caused by bacterial introduction due to improper use of the peritoneal dialysis equipment. A team of researchers, including Advancing Health scientist Dr. Adeera Levin, looked at health data from patients using at-home peritoneal dialysis in Northern BC to see whether this concern was backed up by the available evidence. Between January 2021 and December 2023, they analysed administrative and medical data from 195 patients, looking at the number of dangerous peritonitis episodes that occurred, and how many of their kidney-related medical appointments were virtual versus in-person.
The team found that 23 per cent of patients experienced one or more episodes of peritonitis. While only one third of patients lived in Indigenous communities, they experienced 71 per cent of all peritonitis episodes. Most of the peritonitis episodes were attributed to technique failures in using the machine, such as a contaminated catheter. These mistakes were found to be far more common in patients who attended at least 85 per cent of their medical appointments virtually. Interviews with patients also revealed how those patients who had abruptly shifted away from in-person visits felt a significant decrease in trust and were less confident in their skill using peritoneal dialysis. This research suggests that while remote care does have an important role in making health care more accessible for rural patients, in-person care is still vital in ensuring strong health outcomes for rural kidney disease patients.
Remote and Rural Communities in BC See Great Inequity in Access to Community Pharmacy Services
Geographical access to community pharmacies in British Columbia, Canada. Tam A, Tseng L, Zhang W. Journal of Pharmaceutical Policy and Practice (2026)
Community pharmacists in Canada today not only dispense medications but also provide clinical services like medication renewal, vaccination, and assessment of minor ailments. Since around 23 per cent of Canadians do not have access to a primary care physician or nurse practitioner, community pharmacies are heavily relied on to fill some of these gaps in access.
But there are a few key barriers to accessing services at community pharmacies, ranging from pharmacists’ experiencing heavy workload due to time restraints, to other factors like insufficient training, inadequate infrastructure, and a lack of supporting tools. A study conducted by Advancing Health scientist Dr. Wei Zhang and Senior Research Manager Alex Tam used publicly available geospatial data on community pharmacies in BC and the areas they serve, including 1,528 community pharmacies and 231 community health service areas served by them, to understand how access varied across urban, rural and remote communities in BC.
They found that all medium and large urban communities were within range of five or more pharmacies, but that access declined significantly with an increase in rurality. Less than half of rural communities and none of the remote communities had comparable access. Around 33 per cent of residents in remote communities lived in areas with no pharmacies within a 5 km driving distance, compared to just over 2 per cent of rural residents.
The results of this study highlight the importance of addressing disparities in pharmacy access, and future research should explore ways outside of existing rural pharmacy subsidies and tele-pharmacy programs that could help further reduce inequities.
