Joshua Breslau|Matthew Cefalu|Eunice C. Wong|M. Audrey Burnam|Gerald Hunter|Karen R. Flórez|Rebecca L. Collins
Racial/ethnic differences in perception of need for mental health treatment in a US national sample
RAND Corporation|RAND Corporation|RAND Corporation|RAND Corporation|RAND Corporation|City University of New York|RAND Corporation
resolve contradictory evidence regarding racialethnic differences perceived need mental health treatment usa using large diverse epidemiologic samplesamples 6 years repeated crosssectional survey us civilian noninstitutionalized population combined n 232723 perceived need compared across three nonhispanic groups whites blacks asianamericans two hispanic groups english interviewees spanish interviewees logistic regression models used test variation across groups relationship severity mental illness perceived need treatmentadjusting statistically demographic socioeconomic characteristics severity mental illness perceived need less common racialethnic minority groups compared whites prevalence difference relative whites smallest among hispanics interviewed english 58 95 ci 65 52 largest among hispanics interviewed spanish 112 95 ci 124 100 perceived need significantly less common among minority racialethnic groups level severity particular among serious mental illness largest prevalence differences relative whites among asianamericans 233 95 ci 349 117 hispanics interviewed spanish 326 95 ci 480 172this study resolves contradiction empirical evidence regarding existence racialethnic differences perception need mental health treatment differences exist across range severity mental illness among mental illness differences taken account effort reduce mental healthcare disparities