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Related Experiment Videos

Which Mexican-Americans underutilize health services?

K B Wells, R L Hough, J M Golding

    The American Journal of Psychiatry
    |July 1, 1987
    PubMed
    Summary

    Mexican-Americans, particularly less acculturated individuals, utilized outpatient health services less than non-Hispanic whites. This disparity was more pronounced for mental health care, impacting access to specialists and human services.

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    Area of Science:

    • Public Health
    • Health Services Research
    • Sociology of Health

    Background:

    • Understanding healthcare utilization patterns is crucial for addressing health disparities in diverse populations.
    • Previous research suggests cultural and socioeconomic factors influence healthcare access among minority groups.
    • The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) Epidemiologic Catchment Area (ECA) Program provides valuable data on mental health service use.

    Purpose of the Study:

    • To examine and compare the utilization of health services between Mexican-Americans and non-Hispanic whites in a community setting.
    • To investigate how acculturation levels influence healthcare seeking behaviors within the Mexican-American population.
    • To identify specific differences in the use of outpatient versus inpatient care, and mental versus physical health services.

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    Main Methods:

    • Analysis of data from the Los Angeles site of the NIMH Epidemiologic Catchment Area Program.
    • Comparison of health service utilization rates between Mexican-Americans (differentiated by acculturation) and non-Hispanic whites.
    • Statistical examination of differences in the use of outpatient, inpatient, mental health, and physical health services.

    Main Results:

    • Mexican-Americans, especially those less acculturated, showed significantly lower rates of outpatient care utilization compared to non-Hispanic whites.
    • These disparities were more substantial for mental health services than for physical health services.
    • Less acculturated Mexican-Americans demonstrated minimal use of mental health specialists and human services; among those with recent psychiatric disorders, they were seven times less likely to use outpatient mental health services than non-Hispanic whites.

    Conclusions:

    • Acculturation is a significant factor associated with lower healthcare utilization, particularly for mental health services, among Mexican-Americans.
    • There are notable disparities in accessing outpatient mental health care, highlighting barriers for less acculturated Mexican-Americans.
    • Findings underscore the need for culturally sensitive interventions to improve mental health service access and utilization within this population.