The role of education as a socialization mechanism in addressing the social gradient in depression treatment in Belgium (2004-2018)

Lisa Colman ^* Katrijn Delaruelle Piet Bracke

• Faculty of Political and Social Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, East Flanders, Belgium

Introduction: Previous studies have identified socioeconomic inequalities in the treatment of depression. However, these studies often take a narrow approach, focusing on a single treatment type and lacking a comprehensive theoretical framework. Moreover, income and education are frequently used interchangeably as indicators of disadvantage, without distinguishing their unique impacts. This study argues that relying solely on income to explain treatment inequalities is overly simplistic, suggesting instead that education influences treatment through two distinct pathways. The study's objectives are twofold: first, to investigate the presence of a social gradient in depression treatment, and second, to examine how this gradient is manifested. Methods: This study utilizes data from the Belgian Health Interview Survey (BHIS), covering four successive waves: 2004, 2008, 2013, and 2018. The weighted data represent a sample of the adult Belgian population. Multinomial regression models are used to address the research aims, and models are plotted to detect trends over time using marginal means post-estimation. Results: Findings indicate that income is not significantly related to depression treatment, while persistent educational inequalities in treatment are observed over time. Individuals with longer educational attainment are more likely to use psychotherapy alone or a combination of treatments, whereas individuals with shorter educational attainment are more likely to use pharmaceutical treatment alone. Discussion: This study demonstrates that education plays a critical role in fostering health-related knowledge and reasoning, making individuals with longer education more likely to engage in rational health behaviours and choose more effective treatments, even when these treatments require more effort and competencies. The findings underscore the importance of considering education as a key determinant of depression treatment inequalities.