title: Mental health service needs of a Latino population: a community-based participatory research project.
abstract: Community-based participatory research bridges the gap between academic researchers and the real-life issues of communities and offers promise for addressing racial and ethnic disparities in mental health care. The purpose of this community-based participatory research was to identify factors that affect access, use, and perception of mental health services by a Latino population at individual, organizational, and community levels. Individual level factors included health beliefs about mental illness and care, suspicions of providers, financial concerns, and culturally determined gender roles. Organizational factors included problems with access to care related to cost, lack of bilingual providers, and culturally competent care; and community level factors included distance between resources and the need for services to be provided in community sites. Immigration status and acculturation were identified as factors at all levels.
authors.affiliation: School of Nursing, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Greensboro, North Carolina 27402, USA. mona_shattell@uncg.edu
authors.forename: Mona M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Shattell
authors.forename: Desmina
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Hamilton
authors.forename: Sharon S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Starr
authors.forename: Courtney J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Jenkins
authors.forename: Norma Angelica
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Hinderliter
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003156:Community Mental Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data / Q000600:supply & distribution*; D003466:Cultural Characteristics; D004463:Ecology; D054242:Emigrants and Immigrants; D005260:Female; D006297:Health Services Accessibility; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006630:Hispanic or Latino / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000628:therapy*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009657:North Carolina; D010358:Patient Participation; D012933:Social Identification