Gender, race-ethnicity, and psychosocial barriers to mental health care: an examination of perceptions and attitudes among adults reporting unmet need.
Though researchers have described psychosocial barriers to mental health care-seeking, limited research has examined ways in which gender and race-ethnicity are associated with individuals' perceptions and attitudes. This study investigates correlates of psychosocial barriers to mental health care in a population of adults reporting unmet need for mental health care, focusing on gender and race-ethnicity. Data are from the 2002 National Survey on Drug Use and Health. Multivariate analyses show that non-Latino white male status is positively associated with stigma avoidance and mistrust/fear of the mental health care system. Persons of lower income or educational status are less likely to report negative attitudes towards care. Findings imply a need to reconsider the roles of gender race-ethnicity, and socioeconomic status within investigations of psychosocial barriers to care. Future research should examine the relationships among social status, help-seeking behaviors, and attitudes toward mental health care.
Ojeda
Victoria D
VD
Department of Family and Preventive Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093-0622, USA. vojeda@ucsd.edu
Bergstresser
Sara M
SM
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006297:Health Services Accessibility / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D007182:Income; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders; D008603:Mental Health; D008605:Mental Health Services; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D011287:Prejudice; D044469:Racial Groups; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors; D012938:Social Perception