Use of mental health-related services among immigrant and US-born Asian Americans: results from the National Latino and Asian American Study.
OBJECTIVE
We examined rates of mental health-related service use (i.e., any, general medical, and specialty mental health services) as well as subjective satisfaction with and perceived helpfulness of care in a national sample of Asian Americans, with a particular focus on immigration-related factors.


METHODS
Data were derived from the National Latino and Asian American Study (2002-2003).


RESULTS
About 8.6% of the total sample (n=2095) sought any mental health-related services; 34.1% of individuals who had a probable diagnosis sought any services. Rates of mental health-related service use, subjective satisfaction, and perceived helpfulness varied by birthplace and by generation. US-born Asian Americans demonstrated higher rates of service use than did their immigrant counterparts. Third-generation or later individuals who had a probable diagnosis had high (62.6%) rates of service use in the previous 12 months.


CONCLUSIONS
Asian Americans demonstrated lower rates of any type of mental health-related service use than did the general population, although there are important exceptions to this pattern according to nativity status and generation status. Our results underscore the importance of immigration-related factors in understanding service use among Asian Americans.
Abe-Kim
Jennifer
J
Loyola Marymount University, Los Angeles, Calif 90045-2659, USA. jabekim@lmu.edu
Takeuchi
David T
DT
Hong
Seunghye
S
Zane
Nolan
N
Sue
Stanley
S
Spencer
Michael S
MS
Appel
Hoa
H
Nicdao
Ethel
E
Alegría
Margarita
M
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D001213:Asian / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D004641:Emigration and Immigration; D005260:Female; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000628:therapy*; D008605:Mental Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010679:Philippines / Q000208:ethnology; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D014744:Vietnam / Q000208:ethnology