title: Mental illness and principal physical diagnoses among Asian American and Pacific Islander users of emergency services.
abstract: The stigma of mental illness is one of the factors that prevents Asian Americans/Pacific Islanders (APIs) from seeking formal mental health services. A somatic complaint is more acceptable in expressing psychiatric/emotional distress. Admission diagnoses in API emergency service users with secondary psychiatric diagnoses were identified from the 2001 National Inpatient Sample (NIS) of the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP). The sample consisted of 10,623 adult APIs. The study examined the differences in the six leading principal physical admission diagnoses between API emergency service users with psychiatric diagnoses and those without psychiatric diagnoses. Several of the study findings create concern (e.g., the higher percentage of APIs with psychiatric diagnosis who were discharged against medical advice, the high percentage admitted with medication intoxication). Further study is needed to provide guidance for clinical practice.
authors.affiliation: University of South Florida, Louis de la Parte Florida Mental Health Institute, Tampa, Florida 33612, USA. chen@fhmi.usf.edu
authors.forename: Huey Jen
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001213:Asian / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel / Q000208:ethnology; D001294:Attitude to Health / Q000208:ethnology; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000208:ethnology; D002561:Cerebrovascular Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000208:ethnology; D015897:Comorbidity; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003953:Diagnosis-Related Groups / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D004637:Emergency Services, Psychiatric / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006291:Health Policy; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006801:Humans; D007349:Insurance, Health, Reimbursement / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000208:ethnology; D008875:Middle Aged; D044468:Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010343:Patient Admission / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D013240:Stereotyping; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology