Barriers to mental health care access in an African American population

Emphasis has been placed on understanding the mental health disparities that exist within minority populations in the United States. Disparities are of particular importance when examining access to services. This paper reports findings from a NINR-funded qualitative study that examined the barriers to mental health care service use in an African American low-income population. Barriers were identified at three levels--Individual, Environmental, and Institutional. Fourteen barrier categories were identified within those levels with three categories common to the majority of participants. The identified categories provide insight into the process of seeking services within this population and provide direction for future investigation.