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Racial/ethnic differences in attitudes toward seeking professional mental health services
C C Diala1, C Muntaner, C Walrath
1Department of Mental Hygiene, Johns Hopkins University, 111 Market Pl, Room 3059, Baltimore, MD 21202, USA. diala@maxinter.net
Objectives:
This study examined racial/ethnic differences in attitudes toward seeking mental health services.
Methods:
Data from the National Comorbidity Survey, which administered a structured diagnostic interview to a representative sample of the US population (N = 8098), were analyzed. Multiple logistic regression was used, and data were stratified by need for mental health services.
Results:
African Americans with depression were more likely than Whites with depression to "definitely go" (odds ratio [OR] = 1.8, P < .001) seek mental health services. African Americans with severe psychiatric disorders were less likely to be "somewhat embarrassed if friends knew they sought care" (OR = 0.3, P < .001) than were their White counterparts.
Conclusions:
African Americans reported more positive attitudes toward seeking mental health services than did Whites.
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