The Cycle of Mental and Physical Health: Healthcare Experiences of Emerging Adults in Neurology Settings

Limited research examines the connections between discrimination, mental health, and healthcare treatments in neurology settings. However, previous literature shows general connections between mental and neurological health, though most groups focus either on children or adults. This research examines the connection between neurological and mental health conditions based on patient experiences and treatment discrimination in neurology settings, such as neurology offices. The study had three main hypotheses. First, certain marginalized groups have worse experiences in neurology healthcare settings, including experiencing more discrimination and biases from providers. Second, these negative healthcare experiences will be associated with decreased mental health. Third, previous psychological diagnoses will increase discrimination from providers and negatively affect healthcare experiences. Participants were United States residents ages 18-29 (n = 125) who had been to a neurologist more than twice and reported experiencing healthcare discrimination. Eligible participants took a Qualtrics survey that included qualitative and quantitative questions about mental health, neurological and mental health diagnoses, and healthcare experiences that focused on discrimination. All hypotheses were supported by analyses. Qualitative findings and lessons which might be applied to improve healthcare experiences in neurology settings will be discussed.