Factors That Predict Treatment Use among Latinx College Students
Presentation Type
Poster
Faculty Advisor
Jazmin Reyes-Portillo
Access Type
Event
Start Date
26-4-2024 11:15 AM
End Date
26-4-2024 12:15 PM
Description
Background: Acculturative stress has been linked to negative outcomes among Latinx young adults. Reported barriers to treatment use include a preference for informal support sources and negative cultural/religious beliefs regarding mental health treatment. Limited research has examined the link between acculturative stress and in-person treatment use among Latinx young adults. This study investigated whether acculturative stress significantly predicted treatment use among Latinx college students after controlling for cultural/religious beliefs and perceived need. Methods: Participants were 313 Latinx college students who completed an online survey examining mental health symptoms and cultural factors. Participants completed the Social, Attitudinal, Familial, and Environmental Acculturative Stress Scale. Participants were asked if they thought they needed help for an emotional/mental health problem in the past year, whether they received in-person treatment (mental health professional, primary care doctor, or psychiatrist), and how much they felt their ethnic and religious community influenced their treatment use. Results: Almost half (44.7%) thought they needed help for an emotional/mental health problem. Yet, only 29.4% received in-person treatment. About 27% felt their ethnic community’s beliefs at least somewhat influenced their decision on treatment and (14.1%) felt their religious community’s belief affected their decision. Discussion: Acculturative stress was not a significant predictor of treatment use. Students with greater perceived need were more likely to access in-person treatment. Also, students’ religious community’s beliefs influenced treatment use. Future research should examine how to increase connections between mental health service providers and religious communities to promote treatment use.
Factors That Predict Treatment Use among Latinx College Students
Background: Acculturative stress has been linked to negative outcomes among Latinx young adults. Reported barriers to treatment use include a preference for informal support sources and negative cultural/religious beliefs regarding mental health treatment. Limited research has examined the link between acculturative stress and in-person treatment use among Latinx young adults. This study investigated whether acculturative stress significantly predicted treatment use among Latinx college students after controlling for cultural/religious beliefs and perceived need. Methods: Participants were 313 Latinx college students who completed an online survey examining mental health symptoms and cultural factors. Participants completed the Social, Attitudinal, Familial, and Environmental Acculturative Stress Scale. Participants were asked if they thought they needed help for an emotional/mental health problem in the past year, whether they received in-person treatment (mental health professional, primary care doctor, or psychiatrist), and how much they felt their ethnic and religious community influenced their treatment use. Results: Almost half (44.7%) thought they needed help for an emotional/mental health problem. Yet, only 29.4% received in-person treatment. About 27% felt their ethnic community’s beliefs at least somewhat influenced their decision on treatment and (14.1%) felt their religious community’s belief affected their decision. Discussion: Acculturative stress was not a significant predictor of treatment use. Students with greater perceived need were more likely to access in-person treatment. Also, students’ religious community’s beliefs influenced treatment use. Future research should examine how to increase connections between mental health service providers and religious communities to promote treatment use.