Introduction: Mental disorders represent serious public health concerns in the U.S. Compared with Whites, racial/ethnic minority adolescents are more likely to be affected by mental disorders but less likely to use mental health services. This systematic review aimed to summarize factors related to mental health service use among minority adolescents in the U.S. as identified in previous research.Methodology: Following the PRISMA guideline, we systematically searched seven databases for peer reviewed articles related to barriers and facilitators of mental health service use among racial/ethnic minority adolescents.Results: Thirty-two quantitative studies met our inclusion criteria, among which 12 studies (37.5%) sampled mostly Blacks or African Americans, 6 studies (18.7%) focused primarily on Hispanics or Latin/a/x, including Mexican Americans and Puerto Ricans, and 4 studies (12.5%) were mostly Asian Americans (e.g., Chinese, Vietnamese). Based on the socio-ecological framework, 21 studies (65.6%) identified adolescent-related barriers and facilitators of mental health service use, including biological (e.g., age, gender), clinical (e.g., symptom severity), behavioral (e.g., drug/alcohol use), and psychological characteristics (e.g., internal asset) of minority youth. Ten studies (31.3%) identified parents-related factors that influenced minority adolescent mental health service use, including parental perceptions and beliefs, family and parenting issues, and demographic characteristics. Primary factors at the therapist level included ethnic match between patient and practitioner, relationship with healthcare practitioners, and patient-therapist co-endorsement of etiological beliefs. Fifteen studies (46.9%) identified factors influencing minority adolescent mental health service use at the contextual/structural level, including household income, insurance status, and family structure. Lastly, acculturation and school experiences were major factors at the social/cultural level that influence minority adolescent service use.Conclusion: More empirical studies are needed to understand the mechanism underlying minority adolescents' unmet mental health service needs. Culturally competent interventions are warranted to engage minority adolescents with mental disorders into treatment.
Child maltreatment among Asian immigrant parents has been largely understudied, even though Asian Americans are one of the fastest-growing minority groups in the U.S. This study aimed to gain an in-depth understanding of the potential moderating role of social support in relation to parenting stress and risk of child maltreatment among Asian immigrant parents. In collaboration with a major multiservice agency serving diverse racial and ethnic populations in New York City, face-to-face interviews were conducted among Asian American parents. The data from a sample of 259 Asian parents who identified as firstgeneration immigrants were used in multivariate regression analyses. The results showed that there was a significant positive relationship between parenting stress and risk of child maltreatment, even after controlling for other predictors. While a significant relationship between social support and the risk of child maltreatment was found, it became weaker as other predictors were included. However, a moderating effect of social support was not found to buffer the negative impacts of parenting stress on the risk of child maltreatment. Study findings suggest that more culturally competent interventions should be provided, which aim at reducing parenting stress, increasing utilization of available professional services, and encouraging Asian immigrant families to develop a social support system of family and friends. What is the public significance of this article?This study suggests that parenting stress and lack of social support are important risk factors for child maltreatment among Asian immigrants in the U.S. Although social support was not found to moderate the impact of parenting stress on risk of child maltreatment, this study highlights the point that social support may serve as both a benefit and a strain for Asian immigrant parents. These study findings may help guide culturally informed interventions to prevent child maltreatment among Asian immigrant parents in the U.S.
Major depressive episode (MDE) and alcohol use disorder (AUD) often co-occur and the presence of one doubles the risk for the other, which brings disabling social and health consequences. Increasing evidence supports integrated treatment of co-occurring MDE and AUD, including combined medications for both conditions as well as behavioral therapies. While young adults suffer disproportionately from these co-occurring conditions, little is known about their treatment utilization. Using nationally representative data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), 2011-2019, this study examined temporal trends and disparities in the prevalence and treatment use for co-occurring MDE and AUD among young adults aged 18-25 in the U.S. Across the survey time, an increasing trend of MDE was revealed, whereas the prevalence of AUD decreased significantly. Meanwhile, the prevalence of co-occurring MDE and AUD remained steady. Among young adults with co-occurring MDE and AUD, while treatment use for MDE increased from 2011 to 2019, treatment use for AUD and co-occurring conditions remained stable. Observed widening disparities in co-occurring treatments utilized among young adults ages 18-25 are further perpetuated by gender, emerging adulthood, and socioeconomic status, warranting immediate action. Public Policy Relevance StatementYoung adults with co-occurring depression and alcohol disorders suffer from serious physical health, economic, and social consequences that can last a lifetime if left untreated. Examining trends regarding the prevalence of these conditions among young people 18-25 and their treatment use patterns reveals the unique needs of this population. These findings may enhance practice and policy innovations that conceivably could help to mitigate against widening disparities. aaa M ajor depressive episode (MDE) and alcohol use disorder (AUD) are two of the top five leading causes of death in developed countries, with young people bearing a disproportionate burden (Deady et al., 2016). MDE has been a key risk factor for suicidal behavior in young adults (Furr et al., 2001). Similarly, young adults with AUD are three to four times This document is copyrighted by the American Psychological Association or one of its allied publishers.This article is intended solely for the personal use of the individual user and is not to be disseminated broadly.
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