Depression, Help-Seeking and Self-Recognition of Depression among Dominican, Ecuadorian and Colombian Immigrant Primary Care Patients in the Northeastern United States.
Latinos, the largest minority group in the United States, experience mental health disparities, which include decreased access to care, lower quality of care and diminished treatment engagement. The purpose of this cross-sectional study of 177 Latino immigrants in primary care is to identify demographic factors, attitudes and beliefs, such as stigma, perceived stress, and ethnic identity that are associated with depression, help-seeking and self-recognition of depression. Results indicated that 45 participants (25%) had depression by Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) criteria. Factors most likely to be associated with depression were: poverty; difficulty in functioning; greater somatic symptoms, perceived stress and stigma; number of chronic illnesses; and poor or fair self-rated mental health. Fifty-four people endorsed help-seeking. Factors associated with help-seeking were: female gender, difficulty in functioning, greater somatic symptoms, severity of depression, having someone else tell you that you have an emotional problem, and poor or fair self-rated mental health. Factors most likely to be associated with self-recognition were the same, but also included greater perceived stress. This manuscript contributes to the literature by examining attitudinal factors that may be associated with depression, help-seeking and self-recognition among subethnic groups of Latinos that are underrepresented in research studies.
School of Nursing, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, 228 Ackerson Hall, 180 University Avenue Newark, NJ 07102, USA. susan.caplan@rutgers.edu.
Susan
S
Caplan
Department of Statistics and Biostatistics, Hill Center, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, 110 Frelinghuysen Rd. Piscataway, NY 08854, USA. buyske@stat.rutgers.edu.
Steven
S
Buyske
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001290:Attitude; D003105:Colombia / Q000208:ethnology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003863:Depression / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D003866:Depressive Disorder; D004293:Dominican Republic / Q000208:ethnology; D004484:Ecuador / Q000208:ethnology; D054242:Emigrants and Immigrants; D005260:Female; D000066505:Help-Seeking Behavior; D006630:Hispanic or Latino / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008605:Mental Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008875:Middle Aged; D009518:New York / Q000453:epidemiology; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D057545:Social Stigma; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013315:Stress, Psychological; D055815:Young Adult
depression; help-seeking; immigrants; self-perceived need; self-recognition; stigma