title: Emotional and somatic distress in eastern North Carolina: help-seeking behaviors.
abstract: Socio-demographic and cultural factors have been reported to shape help-seeking behavior. However, not much effort has been made to determine the effects of these factors on help-seeking among rural populations. A telephone survey using random-digit dialing was used to explore socio-demographic characteristics and ethnic differences in the types of professionals sought for unexplained somatic and emotional problems (N = 1161) in rural eastern North Carolina. Ethnic differences in comfort with participating in support groups were also examined. The effect of a large natural disaster, Hurricane Floyd and subsequent flooding, on help-seeking choices and comfort with support groups was also assessed. Results showed that the rural population makes a sharp distinction between somatic symptoms and stress-related symptoms. This distinction seemed more pronounced for European-Americans than for African-Americans. In general African-Americans selected help-seeking from clergy more often than European-Americans, although for unexplained somatic symptoms this difference was fostered by Hurricane Floyd with its flooding. African-Americans showed markedly increased comfort with support groups after the hurricane, while European-Americans showed no changes in comfort with support groups as a function of the hurricane. The effects of Hurricane Floyd on African-Americans are interpreted as reflecting an increased salience of community support for African-Americans, significantly through the Baptist Church. Training of clergy should include recognition of stress-related somatic and emotional symptoms and the potential for an important referral role, especially following disasters.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine, Morehouse School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia 30310-1495, USA. yaderibigbe@msm.edu
authors.forename: Yekeen A
authors.initials: YA
authors.lastname: Aderibigbe
authors.forename: Richard M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Bloch
authors.forename: Anand
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pandurangi
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002977:Clergy; D003431:Cross-Cultural Comparison; D003469:Culture; D004190:Disasters; D005006:Ethnicity / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy; D008875:Middle Aged; D009657:North Carolina; D010146:Pain / Q000523:psychology*; D059408:Pain Management; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care / Q000523:psychology*; D012424:Rural Population; D012657:Self-Help Groups; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000523:psychology*; D013689:Telephone