Asian-Americans Remain Low Utilizers of County Mental Health Services

Abstract

The National Latino and Asian American Study (NLAAS, 2002–2003, n =2095) indicated that Asian-Americans (AA) use mental health services less frequently than the general population (8.6% vs. 17.95%). Even AA who have been diagnosed with mental health disorders use mental health services less frequently than their non-AA counterparts (34.1% versus 41.1%)². AA in Riverside County count for 7.4% of the population, or about 181,356 individuals, according to the 2018 census estimates. The objective of the study is to examine and compare rates of utilization of mental health services by AA specifically in the Riverside County setting. This study utilizes data on patients’ ethnicity, age, gender, and diagnosis as collected annually by the Riverside County Department of Mental Health from the fiscal year of 2017–2018. It compares the prevalence of psychiatric disorders and the rate of utilization of mental health services by AA in the county to the data collected by the NLAAS. The total number of AA using mental health services in Riverside County is 669, which totals 1.73% of all individuals accessing the same services. The number of AA using mental health services represented 0.45% of the total AA population in Riverside County. AA in Riverside County are utilizing MH services even less than the national rates (0.45% vs 8.6% nationally from NLAAS data). The gap in care illustrated by these results exemplifies not only the disparity in utilization of MH services seen in this particular ethnic group, but portrays the stagnant results from Riverside County s attempts to address this issue. Possible reasons for the disparity include lack of access, stigma, recovery, migration, and a lack of culturally-competent care. A reimagined outreach initiative may help to better address this issue. Riverside County already has implemented an AA Task Force, holds health fairs at local churches in the communities, supports a UCR School of Medicine student-run free clinic, and is active in NAMI events.