Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Mental Health Help-Seeking Profiles Among African Americans: Exploring the Influence of Religion

  • Published:
Race and Social Problems Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

African Americans with mental health problems consult a variety of sources for assistance. Most studies report a preference for informal sources rather than professional sources of help with mental health concerns. While it is clear that African Americans seek help from both informal and professional sources, less known is whether there are unique subpopulations of African Americans that can be defined by their support and services use. Given the importance of religion in the lives of African Americans, it also important to understand the role of religious involvement in determining help-seeking behaviors. This study used latent class analysis and data from the National Survey of American Life (n = 1315) to identify distinct profiles of help-seeking behavior among African Americans with mental health disorders defined by informal (e.g., clergy, family, and friends) and professional sources (e.g., health and mental healthcare providers) of support and services. Findings revealed two help-seeking classes: Low Use/Informal Support (95%) and High Use/All Support (5%). Low subjective religious involvement was associated with membership in the Low Use/Informal Support class. High non-organizational religious involvement was associated with membership in the High Use/All Support class. No associations between demographic characteristics were found between the two classes. Findings highlight heterogeneity in help-seeking behavior among African Americans and the importance of considering multiple domains of religious involvement in influencing these behaviors. Findings highlight the importance of collaborative efforts between religious institutions, health and mental healthcare providers, family and friendship networks in the delivery of mental health care to African Americans.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Abe-Kim, J., Gong, F., & Takeuchi, D. T. (2004). Religiosity, spirituality, and help-seeking among Filipino Americans: Religious clergy or mental health professionals? Journal of Community Psychology, 32(6), 675–689. doi:10.1002/jcop.20026.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Akincigil, A., Olfson, M., Seigel, M., Zurlo, K., Walkup, J., & Crystal, S. (2012). Racial and ethnic disparities in depression care in community-dwelling elderly in the United States. American Journal of Public Health, 102(2), 319–328.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Alegría, M., Chatterji, P., & Wells, K. (2008). Disparity in depression treatment among racial and ethnic minority populations in the United States. Psychiatric Services, 59(11), 1264–1272. doi:10.1176/appi.ps.59.11.1264.Disparity.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Areán, P., & Ayalon, L. (2005). Assessment and treatment of depressed older adults in primary care. Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice, 12(3), 321–335.

    Google Scholar 

  • Atdjian, S., & Vega, W. (2005). Disparities in Mental Health Treatment in US Racial and Ethnic Minority Groups: Implications for psychiatrists. Psychiatric Services (Washington, D.C.), 56(12), 1600–1602.

  • Barrio, C., Yamada, A. M., Hough, R. L., Hawthorne, W., Garcia, P., & Jeste, D. V. (2003). Ethnic disparities in use of public mental health case management services among patients with schizophrenia. Psychiatric Services, 54(9), 1264–1270.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Blank, M. B., Mahmood, M., Fox, J. C., & Guterbock, T. (2002). Alternative mental health services: The role of the black church in the south. American Journal of Public Health, 92(10), 1668–1672.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bledsoe, T. S., Setterlund, K., Adams, C. J., Fok-trela, A., & Connolly, M. (2013). Addressing pastoral knowledge and attitudes about clergy/mental health practitioner collaboration. Social Work & Christianity, 40(1), 23–45.

    Google Scholar 

  • Butler, M., Kane, R., McAlpine, D., & Kathol, R. (2008). Integration of mental health/substance abuse and primary care. Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK38632/.

  • Chatters, L. M., Taylor, R. J., Bullard, K. M., & Jackson, J. S. (2009). Race and ethnic differences in religious involvement: African Americans, Caribbean blacks and non-Hispanic whites. Ethnic and Racial Studies, 32(7), 1143–1163.

  • Chatters, L. M., Taylor, R. J., Jackson, J. S., & Lincoln, K. D. (2008). Religious coping among African Americans, Caribbean Blacks and Non-Hispanic Whites. Journal of Community Psychology, 36(3), 371–386.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chatters, L. M., Taylor, R. J., Lincoln, K. D., & Schroepfer, T. (2002). Patterns of informal support from family and church members among African Americans. Journal of Black Studies, 33(1), 66–85. doi:10.1177/002193470203300104.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cooper, L. A., Ghods Dinoso, B. K., Ford, D. E., Roter, D. L., Primm, A. B., Larson, S., et al. (2013). Comparative effectiveness of standard versus patient-centered collaborative care interventions for depression among African Americans in primary care settings: The BRIDGE Study. Health Services Research, 48(1), 150–174. doi:10.1111/j.1475-6773.2012.01435.x.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dupree, L. W., Watson, M. A., & Schneider, M. (2005). Preferences for mental health care: A comparison of older African Americans and older caucasians. Journal of Applied Gerontology, 24(3), 196–210. doi:10.1177/0733464804272100.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Eack, S. M., & Newhill, C. E. (2012). Racial disparities in mental health outcomes after psychiatric hospital discharge among individuals with severe mental illness. Social Work Research, 36(1), 41–52. doi:10.1093/swr/svs014.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jackson, J. S., Torres, M., Caldwell, C. H., Neighbors, H. W., Nesse, R. M., Taylor, R. J., et al. (2004). The National Survey of American Life: A study of racial, ethnic and cultural influences on mental disorders and mental health. International Journal of Methods in Psychiatric Research, 13(4), 196–207.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jimenez, D., Bartels, S., Cardenas, V., Dhaliwal, S. S., & Alegría, M. (2012). Cultural beliefs and mental health treatment preferences of ethnically diverse older adult consumers in primary care. American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 20(6), 533–542. doi:10.1097/JGP.0b013e318227f876.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jimenez, D., Cook, B., Bartels, S., & Alegria, M. (2013). Disparities in mental health service use among racial/ethnic minority elderly. Journal of American Geriatric Society, 61(1), 18–25. doi:10.1016/j.biotechadv.2011.08.021.Secreted.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kawachi, I., & Berkman, L. F. (2001). Social ties and mental health. Journal of Urban Affairs, 78(3), 458–467.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kessler, R. C., & Merikangas, K. (2004). The National Comorbidity Survey Replication (NCS-R): Background and aims. International Journal of Methods in Psychiatric Research, 13(2), 60–68.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Koenig, H. (2007). Religion and depression in older medical inpatients. The American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 15(4), 282–291.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Krause, N. (2002). Church-based social support and health in old age exploring variations by race. The Journals of Gerontology. Series B, Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences.

  • Lanza, S. T., Collins, L., Lemmon, D. R., & Schafer, J. (2007). PROC LCA: A SAS procedure for latent class analysis. Structural Equation Modeling: A Multidisciplinary Journal, 14, 671–694. doi:10.1080/10705510701575602.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Levin, J. S., Taylor, R. J., & Chatters, L. M. (1995). A multidimensional measure of religious involvement for African Americans. The Sociological Quarterly, 36(1), 157–173.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lifeway Research. (2014). Study of acute mental illness and christian faith. Retrieved from http://www.lifewayresearch.com/files/2014/09/Acute-Mental-Illness-and-Christian-Faith-Research-Report-1.pdf.

  • Lincoln, K. D. (2013). Social support, negative social interactions, and psychological well-being. Social Service Review, 74(2), 231–252.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lincoln, K. D., Taylor, R. J., Bullard, K. M., Chatters, L. M., Himle, J. A., Woodward, A. T., et al. (2010). Emotional support, negative interaction and DSM IV lifetime disorders among older African Americans: Findings from the National Survey of American Life (NSAL). International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 25(6), 612–621. doi:10.1002/gps.2383.Emotional.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lindamer, L. A., Liu, L., Sommerfeld, D. H., Folsom, D. P., Hawthorne, W., Garcia, P., et al. (2012). Predisposing, enabling, and need factors associated with high service use in a public mental health system. Administration and Policy in Mental Health and Mental Health Services Research, 39(3), 200–209. doi:10.1007/s10488-011-0350-3.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lukachko, A., Myer, I., & Hankerson, S. H. (2015). Religiosity and mental health service utilization among African Americans. The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease, 203(8), 578–582. doi:10.1097/NMD.0000000000000334.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Magidson, J., & Vermunt, J. (2002). Latent class models for clustering: A comparison with K-means. Canadian Journal of Marketing Research, 20(1), 36–43.

    Google Scholar 

  • Matthews, K. A., Corrigan, P. W., Smith, B., & Aranda, F. (2006). A qualitative exploration of African Americans’ attitudes toward mental illness and mental illness treatment seeking. Rebahilitation Education, 20(4), 253–268.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McCutcheon, A. L. (1987). Latent class analysis (64th ed.). New York: SAGE Publications Inc.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Moreno, O., & Cardemil, E. (2013). Religiosity and mental health services: An exploratory study of help seeking among Latinos. Journal of Latina/o Psychology.

  • Muthén, L. K., & Muthén, B. O. (2011). Mplus User’s Guide (6th ed.). Los Angeles, CA: Muthén & Muthén.

    Google Scholar 

  • Neighbors, H. W., Woodward, A. T., Bullard, K. M., Ford, B. C., Taylor, R. J., & Jackson, J. S. (2008). Mental health service use among older African Americans: The National Survey of American Life. The American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry : Official Journal of the American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry, 16(12), 948–956. doi:10.1097/JGP.0b013e318187ddd3.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nylund, K., Asparouhov, T., & Muthén, B. O. (2007). Deciding on the number of classes in latent class analysis and growth mixture modeling: A Monte Carlo simulation study. Structural Equation Modeling, 14(4), 535–569.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Olfson, M., Mccurtis, H. L., & Myrna, M. (2006). Depression in African Americans: Breaking barriers. Journal of Family Practice, 55(1), 30–39.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pew Research Center. (2015). America’s Changing Religious Landscape.

  • Pickard, J. (2006). The relationship of religiosity to older adults’ mental health service use. Aging and Mental Health, 10(3), 290–297.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pratt, L. A., Brody, D. J., & Gu, Q. (2011). Antidepressant use in persons aged 12 and over: United States, 2005–2008 (Vol. 127).

  • Smith, B. (2012). Inappropriate prescribing. Monitor on Psychology, 43(6), 36–42.

    Google Scholar 

  • Snowden, L. R. (2001). Barriers to effective mental health services for African Americans. Mental Health Services Research, 3(4), 181–187.

  • Sosulski, M. R., & Woodward, A. T. (2013). African American women living with mental disorders: factors associated with help seeking from professional services and informal supports. Social Work in Public Health, 28(7), 660–671. doi:10.1080/19371918.2011.593462.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stockdale, S. E., Lagomasino, I., Siddique, J., McGuire, T., & Miranda, J. (2008). Racial and ethnic disparities in detection and treatment of depression and anxiety among psychiatric and primary health care visits, 1995–2005. Medical Care, 46(7), 668–677. doi:10.1016/j.biotechadv.2011.08.021.Secreted.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. (2013). Behavioral health barometer: United States, 2013. Rockville, MD.

  • Taylor, R. J. (2007). Religious and spiritual involvement among older African Americans, Caribbean blacks, and non-Hispanic whites: Findings from the national survey of American life. The Journals of Gerontology Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences, 62(4), S238–S250.

  • Taylor, R. J., Chae, D. H., Lincoln, K. D., & Chatters, L. M. (2015). Extended Family and friendship support networks are both protective and risk factors for major depressive disorder, and depressive symptoms among African Americans and Black Caribbeans. Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease, 203, 132–140.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Taylor, R. J., Chatters, L. M., Hardison, C. B., & Riley, A. (2001). Informal social support networks and subjective well-being among African Americans. Journal of Black Psychology, 27(4), 439–463. doi:10.1177/0095798401027004004.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Taylor, R. J., Ellison, C. G., Chatters, L. M., Levin, J. S., & Lincoln, K. D. (2000). In faith communities: The role of clergy in black churches. Social Work, 45(1), 73–87.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Taylor, R. J., Forsythe-Brown, I., Taylor, H. O., & Chatters, L. M. (2013). Patterns of emotional social support and negative interactions among African American and Black Caribbean Extended Families. Journal of African American Studies. doi:10.1007/s12111-013-9258-1.

    Google Scholar 

  • US Department of Health and Human Services. (2011). National healthcare disparities report. Rockville (MD): Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

    Google Scholar 

  • VanderWaal, C., Hernandez, E., & Sandman, A. (2012). The gatekeepers : Involvement of christian clergy in referrals and collaboration with christian social workers and other helping professionals. Social Work & Christianity, 39(1), 27–51.

    Google Scholar 

  • Villatoro, A. P., & Aneshensel, C. S. (2014). Family influences on the use of mental health services among African Americans. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 55(2), 161–180. doi:10.1177/0022146514533348.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Vinson, L. D., Crowther, M. R., Austin, A. D., & Guin, S. M. (2013). African Americans, mental health, and aging. Clinical Gerontologist, 37(1), 4–17. doi:10.1080/07317115.2013.847515.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Vogel, D. L., Wade, N. G., Wester, S. R., Larson, L., & Hackler, A. H. (2007). Seeking help from a mental health professional: The influence of one’ s social network. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 63(3), 233–245. doi:10.1002/jclp.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wang, P. S., Lane, M., Olfson, M., Pincus, H. A., Wells, K. B., & Kessler, R. C. (2005). Twelve-month use of mental health services in the United States: Results from the National Comorbidity Survey Replication. Archives of General Psychiatry, 22(6), 603–613.

  • Whitley, R., & Lawson, W. (2010). The psychiatric rehabilitation of African Americans with severe mental illness. Psychiatric Services (Washington, D.C.), 61(5), 508–511. doi:10.1176/appi.ps.61.5.508.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wink, P., & Scott, J. (2005). Does religiousness buffer against the fear of death and dying in late adulthood? Findings from a longitudinal study. The Journals of Gerontology. Series B, Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences, 60(4), 207–214. doi:10.1093/geronb/60.4.P207.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Woodward, A. T. (2011). Discrimination and help-seeking: Use of professional services and informal support among African Americans, Black Caribbeans, and non-Hispanic Whites with a mental disorder. Race and Social Problems, 3(3), 146–159.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Woodward, A. T., Chatters, L. M., Taylor, R. J., Neighbors, H. W., & Jackson, J. S. (2010). Differences in professional and informal help seeking among older African Americans, Black Caribbeans and Non-Hispanic Whites. Journal of the Society for Social Work and Research, 1(3), 124–139. doi:10.5243/jsswr.2010.10.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Woodward, A. T., Taylor, R. J., Neighbors, H. W., Chatters, L. M., & Jackson, J. S. (2008). The use of professional services and informal support among African Americans and Caribbean Blacks with a Mental Disorder. Psychiatric Rehabilitation Journal, 59(11), 1292–1298. doi:10.1176/appi.ps.59.11.1292.The.

    Google Scholar 

  • Young, J. L., Griffith, E. H., & Williams, D. R. (2003). The integral role of pastoral counseling by African American clergy in community mental health. Psychiatric Services.

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work, University of Southern California, 669 West 34th Street, Los Angeles, CA, 90089, USA

    Krystal Hays & Karen D. Lincoln

Authors
  1. Krystal Hays
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Karen D. Lincoln
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Krystal Hays.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Hays, K., Lincoln, K.D. Mental Health Help-Seeking Profiles Among African Americans: Exploring the Influence of Religion. Race Soc Probl 9, 127–138 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12552-017-9193-1

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12552-017-9193-1

Keywords

Search

Navigation