Exploring presentation differences in multi-cultural youth seeking assistance for mental health problems

Abstract

Background Mental ill-health can impact an individual’s capacity to interact with others, make decisions, and cope with social challenges. This is of particular importance for many Culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) individuals who may be at various stages of the acculturation process. The increasing diversity of the Australian population necessitates informed and culturally relevant services that meet the needs of a changing demographic. However the extant research on the mental health needs of CALD Australians is limited. This study aimed to further our understanding of the mental health needs of young CALD Australians by exploring the mental health concerns and social factors exhibited by CALD individuals accessing community based youth mental health services in two major cities. Methods We performed a series of logistic regression models to ascertain if a concert of factors (i.e., clinical, socio-economic, criminal justice system involvement, child maltreatment, social support) were associated with CALD status Results Comparisons across factors revealed no significant differences between groups. A small number of correlates differentiated between CALD and non-CALD participants (mental illness diagnosis during childhood, family history of mental illness/suicide, sensation seeking, sensitivity to punishment, maternal overprotection) however these factors were no longer meaningful after adjustment for multiple comparisons. Conclusions In help-seeking mainstream youth populations, cultural differences across clinical and environmental factors appear to be minimal.

A scoping review to identify opportunities and challenges for communities of South Asian (SA) origin in accessing mental health services and support in high- income countries

“…Global MH condition-associated disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) rose from 80.8 million (1990) to 123.5 million (2019), with increasing proportions of total MH condition-associated DALYs (2). Mental health is a crucial health marker for culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) populations who face unique acculturative stressors, challenges and experiences (3)(4)(5).…”

“…The unique pre and post-migratory experiences of CALD population alongside socio-historical contexts, signi cantly shape the community and individual well-being and health (4,5). South Asian origin (Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka) CALD communities in high-income nations experience the highest MH condition prevalence amongst all CALD groups (6,7).…”

“…Canada and the UK); however, Australian studies often highlight particular communities (i.e. India or Pakistan), refugees or examine general health or healthcare access (4,6,13,(24)(25)(26)(27)(28). To address this gap, this review examines the lived experiences of SA CALD communities accessing mental health care (MH care) across four high-income nations (UK, Australia, US, and Canada) through two interlinked research questions:…”