Experiences of Stress and Help-Seeking Behaviors in Filipino Americans

Abstract

A qualitative study using basic interpretive design identified the experiences of stress and barriers to professional help seeking among Filipino Americans ( N = 12). Filipino Americans employed both engagement and disengagement strategies in response to stress characterized by Indigenous, religious, and cultural responses. Filipino Americans preferred to seek support from friends, family, and community leaders and described individual, cultural, and community barriers to pursuing professional mental health services.