Perceived Need for Mental Health Care: The Intersection of Race, Ethnicity, Gender, and Socioeconomic Status

Abstract

Racial/ethnic minority populations underutilize mental health services, even in the presence of psychiatric disorder, and differences in perceived need may contribute to these disparities. Using the Collaborative Psychiatric Epidemiology Surveys, we assessed how the intersections of race/ethnicity, gender, and socioeconomic status affect perceived need. We analyzed a nationally representative sample of U.S. adults (18 years or older; N=14,906), including non-Latino whites, Asian Americans, Latinos, African Americans, and Afro-Caribbeans. Logistic regressions were estimated for the total sample, a clinical need subsample (meets lifetime diagnostic criteria), and a no disorder subsample. Perceived need varies by gender and nativity, but these patterns are conditional on race/ethnicity. Men are less likely than women to have a perceived need but only among non-Latino whites and African Americans. Foreign-born immigrants have lower perceived need than U.S.-born persons, only among Asian Americans. Intersectional approaches to understanding perceived need may help uncover social processes that lead to disparities in mental health care.

Evaluating the Effectiveness of Clinical Pharmacy Consultations on Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Sleep in Improving Patient-Reported Psychiatric Outcomes for Individuals with Mental Illnesses

“…The majority of participants in this mental health pilot study were female, suggesting that they may be more likely than males to seek [20] and utilize mental health services [21,22]. White, non-Latino individuals represented the majority of patients in this study, which aligns with research reported by others regarding help-seeking behavior for mental health conditions [23]. This may speak to the reluctance of some groups of individuals (e.g., African Americans, non-white Hispanics) to seek mental healthcare services.…”

“…Other factors (e.g., mental health literacy, economic resouces) may partially explain some of these differences in Duke scores. For example, some non-white groups may experience disparities (e.g., limited access and ability to incorporate better food sources of essential amino acids), potentially affecting their response and ability to engage in more positive health behaviors [23].…”

Socioeconomic determinants of health-care and emotional needs among Iranian older adults in Isfahan

“…showed that mental needs of women are more likely to be met than that of men. [ 29 ] Since the nature of emotional needs is related to social relationships, supports, and networks, it seems that in Iran, the wideness of familial networks and relationships, as a result of the increased quantity of relationships through more children and grandchildren, leads to a higher level of satisfaction in terms of emotional needs. Due to the special cultural characteristics dominant in Iran, men enjoy a wider and more comprehensive communicative range, and as compared to women, the intra- and inter-group relationships are more available for them, so it seems that their emotional needs are also met more effectively.…”

Parental recognition of preadolescent mental health problems: Does stigma matter?

“…This item was developed for the study to assess global subjective mental health as this perception signals need and action for help-seeking. Single-item assessments of perceived need are common in adult mental health literature (Fleishman & Zuvekas, 2007; Villatoro et al, 2018).…”