BACKGROUNDAsian Americans represent a mix of cultures and immigration experiences, which may put them differentially at risk for mental health problems. Yet, little is known about the mental health needs of older adults from various Asian subgroups compared to non-Hispanic whites.OBJECTIVESTo compare the prevalence rates of mental distress of Chinese, Filipino, South Asian, Japanese, Korean, and Vietnamese older adults (aged 55 and older) to that of non-Hispanic whites; and to examine subgroup differences in utilization of mental health services.METHODSA cross-sectional analysis of a population-based sample of California adults responding to the 2007 California Health Interview Survey. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to examine subgroup differences in mental health status and use of mental health services among the six different Asian subgroups and non-Hispanic whites, adjusting for respondents’ demographic and health characteristics, socioeconomic status, and English-language proficiency.RESULTSA total of 20,712 respondents were included. Filipino [aOR=2.25; 95% CI=1.14-4.47] and Korean Americans [aOR=2.10; 95% CI=1.06-4.17] were more likely to report symptoms indicative of mental distress compared to non-Hispanic whites, yet were less likely to have seen a primary care provider [Filipino: aOR=0.41; 95% CI=0.18-0.90; Korean: aOR=0.24; 95% CI = 0.08-0.69] or have taken a prescription medication [Filipino: aOR=0.20; 95% CI=0.10-0.40; Korean: aOR=0.15; 95% CI=0.05-0.40], even after adjusting for indicators of respondents’ demographic and health characteristics, socioeconomic status, and English-language proficiency. In contrast, Japanese Americans were less likely to report symptoms indicative of mental distress [aOR=0.43; 95% CI=0.21-0.90], and were less likely to make use of mental health services compared to non-Hispanic whites.DISCUSSION/CONCLUSIONSThe findings from this study not only highlight the unmet mental health needs among older Asian Americans, but also illustrate significant variations among the various Asian subgroups. Clinicians who work closely with these patients should regularly screen and assess older Asian adults for symptoms related to their mental health needs.

Risk of developing of emotional and behavioral mental health problems increases markedly during adolescence. Despite this increasing need, most adolescents, particularly ethnic minority youth, do not seek professional help. Informed by conceptual models of health behavior, the current study examined how cultural values are related to help-seeking among adolescents from two distinct racial/ethnic groups. In a prospective survey design, 169 10th and 11th grade Vietnamese American and European American youth reported on their mental health need, as measured by emotional/behavioral mental health symptoms and stressful life events, with participants reporting on their help-seeking behavior at 6-month follow-up assessments. Multinomial logistic regression analyses indicated that mental health need interacted with cultural values and ethnicity to predict help-seeking behavior. Specifically, associations between symptoms and stressful life events, and help-seeking behavior were smaller among Vietnamese American adolescents, and among adolescents with strong family obligation values. These results underscore the complex sociocultural factors influencing adolescents’ help-seeking behavior, which have important implications for engaging youth in needed mental health care.

OBJECTIVES This study examined potential barriers to mental healthcare use of older adults from diverse ethnic and racial backgrounds. DESIGN Data were obtained from the 2007, 2009, 2011–12, and 2013–14 California Health Interview Survey (CHIS), a population-based survey representative of California’s noninstitutionalized population. PARTICIPANTS The total sample consisted of 75,324 non-Hispanic white (NHW), 6,600 black, 7,695 Asian and Pacific Islander (API), and 4,319 Hispanic adults aged 55 and older. RESULTS Results from logistic regression analyses that controlled for multiple demographic and health status characteristics revealed ethnic and racial differences in reasons for not seeking treatment and for terminating treatment. Specifically, API and Hispanic adults had greater odds than NHWs of endorsing feeling uncomfortable talking to a professional as a reason for not seeking treatment. Hispanic respondents had lower odds of endorsing concerns about someone finding out than APIs, and APIs and blacks had significantly greater odds of endorsing this concern as a reason for not seeking treatment than NHWs. When asked about reasons for no longer receiving treatment, all respondents, irrespective of race or ethnicity, endorsed that they no longer needed treatment as the most frequent reason for terminating treatment, although specific ethnic and racial differences emerged with respect to perceptions of not getting better, lack of time or transportation, and lack of insurance coverage as reasons for no longer seeking treatment. CONCLUSION Understanding how barriers to mental health treatment differ for older adults from diverse ethnic and racial backgrounds is an important step toward designing interventions to overcome these obstacles and improve mental health outcomes.

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Further medications, laser or surgery are frequently required to control IOP after LPI for eyes with PAC, especially for eyes with PACG. Lens extraction seems to play a protective role in PACS eyes. Close follow-up after LPI remains necessary to prevent progression of disease.

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Language-related communication barriers between minority patients and their physicians may contribute to racial and ethnic disparities in mental health care. Accordingly, the current study sought to examine whether perceived mental health needs and discussion of these needs differed as a function of race or ethnicity and language concordance in older Latinos and Asian and Pacific Islanders (APIs). Using the 2007 California Health Interview Survey, the analytical sample included Latinos and APIs aged 55 and older (N = 2,960) who reported having seen a primary care provider within the past 2 years. Multivariable logistic regression was used to examine differences according to race or ethnicity and language concordance status (three groups: English-language concordant, other-language concordant, language discordant) in perceived mental health needs and discussion of those needs with a physician, adjusting for respondents' sociodemographic characteristics and mental health status. There were no significant differences in respondents' perceptions of their mental health needs across race or ethnicity or level of language concordance status (Ps > .41), although there were significant differences in whether respondents had discussed their mental health needs with their physicians according to participant race or ethnicity and language concordance status (adjusted odds ratio = 0.47, P = .04). Specifically, Spanish language-concordant Latinos were just as likely to discuss their mental health needs with their physicians as English language-concordant Latinos. In contrast, Asian language-concordant APIs were less likely to discuss their mental health needs with their physicians than English language-concordant APIs. There were no significant differences between language-discordant and English language-concordant older adults in predicting discussion of mental health concerns. These findings underscore the importance of overcoming language-related and cultural barriers to improve patient-provider discussions of older adults' mental health needs.

Purpose This study examines the use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) by ethnicity/race among patients with type 2 diabetes. Subjects and methods Four hundred and ten (410) patients with type 2 diabetes recruited from an academic-medical center completed a survey assessing CAM use, diabetes status, and sociodemographic characteristics. Results Several significant ethnic/racial differences were observed in CAM use (both in the types of providers seen as well as in the herbs and dietary supplements used). Although White patients reported using CAM in addition to their diabetes medication (mean [SD] 4.9 [0.4] on a scale from 1=never to 5=always) more frequently than Mexican American patients (3.1 [1.6], p<.05), Mexican American patients (1.4 [1.1]) used CAM instead of their diabetes medications more frequently than non-Hispanic White patients (1.0 [0.1], p<.05). More Mexican American (66.7%) and Vietnamese American patients (73.7%) than non-Hispanic Whites (11.8%, p=.002) described CAM practitioners as being closer to their cultural traditions than Western practitioners, whereas Vietnamese patients were more likely to describe use of herbs and supplements as closer to their cultural traditions (84.5% versus 15.3% for White and 30.9% for Mexican American patients, p <.001). Conclusions Considering the variability and perceptions in CAM use, providers should discuss with their patients how their CAM use may influence diabetes management behaviors.