Help-Seeking Patterns and Perceived Barriers to Care among Latino Immigrant Men with Unhealthy Alcohol Use

Abstract

Background: Latino immigrant men have high rates of unhealthy alcohol use, yet we know little about their help-seeking patterns and barriers to care. Methods: We described the help-seeking patterns and perceived barriers to care of a sample of Latino immigrant men (N=121) recruited to a pilot randomized trial of a brief alcohol intervention (the Vida PURA study). All men were Latino, immigrant, spoke Spanish, and had an Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test (AUDIT) score equal/greater than 6. Interviewer-administered survey data were used to describe help-seeking and barriers to care across alcohol use severity. Results: AUDIT scores ranged from 6 –40 (M = 20, SD = 10); 49% (n=60) of men screened positive for severe unhealthy alcohol use (AUDIT score equal 20, and 30% (n=36) reported having sought help for drinking. 61% of men who had sought help for drinking (n-36) reported attending Alcoholics Anonymous (AA). All men reported perceived barriers to care, especially stigma and health care system related. Conclusion: Findings suggest further investigation of interventions based on severity level to address stigma and health care system barriers.