Faculty Publications
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
November 2011
Publication Title
Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved
First Page
1369
Last Page
1386
Disciplines
Medicine and Health Sciences
Abstract
Immigrants are less likely than others to use mental health (MH) services. Physicians' limited time often precludes inquiry about MH. This study investigated the influence of generational status, ethnicity, and mental/substance use disorders on physicians' inquiries about Asian American (AA) MH. Data from the National Latino and Asian American Study were analyzed (n=1,853). The outcome was past year physician's inquiry regarding MH. Results revealed that AA with U.S.-born parents had significantly greater odds compared to AA born outside the U.S. to report that their doctors inquired about their MH (OR=218, 95% CI: 1.28, 3.73). Past year mental/substance use disorder increased the odds of AA reporting that their doctors inquired about their MH (OR=8.41; 95% CI: 3.28, 21.66). This increase differed by ethnicity, with Chinese less affected than Vietnamese (OR=0.17; 95% CI: 0.05, 0.59). The reasons for these associations warrant further exploration.
Recommended Citation
Van M. Ta Park, P. Holck, T. Chen, and N. Zane. "Patients’ reports about medical doctors’ inquiries on their mental health: Do generational status, ethnicity and mental health/substance use disorders matter?" Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved (2011): 1369-1386.
Comments
Copyright © 2011 Meharry Medical College. This article first appeared in Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved 22:4 (2011), 1369–1386. Reprinted with permission by Johns Hopkins University Press.