Patterns of Mental Health Support Seeking Among Latina Immigrants

Abstract

mental health service utilization is particularly concerning given that Latinos have a higher prevalence of major depressive disorder and greater levels of depressive symptoms than non-Latino Whites. Latinos who are immigrants are also 40% less likely to utilize mental health services than immigrants of other race/ethnicities. Latina immigrant women are more likely than Latino immigrant men to experience mental health disorders such as depression, anxiety, and PSTD, but are also less likely to seek mental health services. We sought to describe patterns of mental health care utilization across demographic characteristics and identify barriers to mental health care. We also described patterns of mental health support seeking across different types of mental health concerns (depression, anxiety, and PTSD). About half of our sample reported living in the U.S (52%) between 10 to 19 years and most were born in Mexico (83%). Latina immigrants in our sample reported entering or staying in the U.S without permission (59%) and the majority were monolingual Spanish speakers (84%). Most Latina immigrants reported minimal to mild levels of depression, anxiety, and PTSD. However, 25% reported moderate to severe levels of depression, 26% reported moderate to severe levels of anxiety and 42% reported moderate to severe levels of PTSD. Familismo should be further examined among Latina immigrant with varied family support (i.e., trust, attitude, family dynamic) and without tangible emotional family support (i.e., deceased parents, in different country) to further investigate how stigma can impact seeking mental health support from various sources such as non-professionals (family) and professionals (counselors). Our findings suggest the need for more accessible mental health services for Latina immigrants with depression, anxiety, and PTSD symptoms. Reducing the cost of mental health services and providing more education on how and where to seek mental health services could help address barriers to access.