Use of specialty mental health services by Asian Americans with psychiatric disorders.

Abstract

Research suggests that Asian Americans underutilize mental health services but an understanding of the multiple factors involved in utilization has not been examined in a nationally representative sample. The current study analyzed data from the National Latino and Asian American Study (NLAAS) and examined 368 individuals with disorders to understand utilization and what factors were related to the utilization of specialty mental health services. Significant underutilization was found for Asian Americans; moreover, underutilization was especially acute among Asian American immigrants. For U.S.-born Asian Americans, use of primary care services was significantly associated with use of mental health services, but for foreign-born Asian Americans, use of primary care services was unrelated to mental health services use. For both U.S.-born and foreign-born Asian Americans, use of alternative services appeared to significantly affect whether Asian Americans with disorders utilize mental health services, but the nature of the influence varied depending on the individual’s level of English-language proficiency. These findings revealed that a major mental health disparity, the underutilization of mental health services by Asian Americans, was nuanced by use of other health-related services and immigration-related factors.

Gender differences in mental health service utilization among respondents reporting depression in a national health survey

“…The nature of the relationship between gender and mental health utilization is complex. Some studies found no effect on utilization patterns by gender [46,47]. Drapeau [18] found that women were more likely to use both general and psychiatric mental health services than men.…”

Teenage Pregnancy and Mental Health

“…People from ethnic minorities are particularly underserved when it comes to treatment (e.g., [3,45]). Adolescents from ethnic minorities are also disproportionately represented in those that bear children early.…”

Common mental health problems in immigrants and refugees: general approach in primary care

“…57 In general, immigrants and refugees are less likely than their Canadian-born counterparts to seek out or be referred to mental health services, even when they experience comparable levels of distress. [58][59][60][61][62][63] This can reflect both structural and cultural barriers, including the lack of mobility or ability to take time away from work, lack of linguistically accessible services, a desire to deal with problems on one's own, the concern that problems will not be understood by practitioners because of cultural or linguistic differences, and fear of stigmatization. [64][65][66][67][68] In many developing countries, mental health services are associated only with custodial or hospital treatment of the most severely ill and psychotic patients.…”