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Mental health care preferences among low-income and minority women

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Abstract

Mental health care preferences are examined among 1,893 low-income immigrant and U.S.-born women with an acknowledged emotional problem (mean age = 29.1, SD = 89.6). Ethnicity, depression, somatization, and stigma are examined as they relate to mental health care preferences (medication, individual and group counseling, faith, family/friends). Seventy-eight percent of participants counseling would be helpful; 55%; group counseling; and 32% medication. Faith was cited by 81%; family and friends were endorsed by 65%. Minorities had lower odds than Whites of endorsing medication (Black immigrants: OR = 0.27, p < 0.001, U.S.-born Blacks: OR = 0.30, p < 0.001, immigrant Latinas: OR = 0.50, p < 0.01). Most minorities also had higher odds of endorsing faith compared to Whites (Black immigrants: OR = 3.62, p < 0.001; U.S.-born Blacks, OR = 3.85, p < 0.001; immigrant Latinas: OR = 9.76, p < 0.001). Being depressed was positively associated with endorsing medication (OR = 1.93, p < 0.001), individual counseling (OR = 2.66, p < 0.001), and group counseling (OR = 1.35, p < 0.01). Somatization was positively associated with endorsing medication (OR = 1.29, p < 0.05) and faith (OR = 1.37, p < 0.05). Stigma-concerns reduced the odds of endorsing group counseling (OR = 0.58, p < 0.001). Finally, being in mental health treatment was related to increased odds of endorsing medication (OR = 3.88, p < 0.001) and individual counseling (OR = 2.29, p = 0.001).

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Acknowledgements

This research was funded by National Institute of Mental Health Grants MHR01070260 and MH56864. Writing of this article was funded through three centers: Resource Centers for Minority Aging Research/Center for Health Improvement of Minority Elderly (RCMAR/CHIME) funded by National Institute of Health/National Institute on Aging (3P03AG021684), UCLA/Drew Project EXPORT funded by the National Institute of Health/National Center for Minority Health and Health Disparities (1P20MD00148-01), and UCLA-RAND Center for Research on Quality in Managed Care (MH068639-01) and the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Health Services, School of Public Health, University of California, Los Angeles, 10920 Wilshire Boulevard, Suite 300, Los Angeles, CA, 90024-6505, USA

    Erum Nadeem

  2. Health Services Research Center, University of California, Los Angeles, 10920 Wilshire Boulevard, Suite 300, Los Angeles, CA, 90024-6505, USA

    Erum Nadeem & Jeanne Miranda

  3. Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, 10920 Wilshire Boulevard, Suite 300, Los Angeles, CA, 90024-6505, USA

    Erum Nadeem & Jeanne Miranda

  4. Department of Biostatistics, University of Washington, Box 357232, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA

    Jane M. Lange

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  1. Erum Nadeem
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Correspondence to Erum Nadeem.

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Nadeem, E., Lange, J.M. & Miranda, J. Mental health care preferences among low-income and minority women. Arch Womens Ment Health 11, 93–102 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00737-008-0002-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00737-008-0002-0

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