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Dharma E. Cortes, PhD, Department of Psychiatry, Cambridge Health Alliance/Harvard Medical School, 1493 Cambridge Street, Cambridge, MA 02139, 781-321-1038, decortes@aol.com
Men in general and men of color in particular are underutilizers of primary health care and mental health services. Latino men use primary health and mental health services at low rates. This finding is puzzling since Latino men are frequently exposed to stressors (e.g., migration, poverty, violence, racism, low educational attainments) that are associated with higher rates of psychological distress. In recent years, researchers have begun to acknowledge the absence of male clients in health care facilities and are calling for systematic studies designed to uncover factors deterring men from receiving services. This exploratory study examined the role that individual (i.e., attitudes, perceived norms, and self-efficacy), systemic (i.e., access to care), and sociocultural factors (i.e., acculturation, sociodemographic characteristics, migration experience) play in Latino men’s use of mental health services. Participants were Latino men from different nationalities and community key informants. Focus groups and in-depth interviews were conducted to: (1) examine attitudes and perceived norms about access to and intention to use mental health services among Latino men who have never used mental health services; (2) explore the pathways that Latino men who are first-time, current, and past users of mental health services undertake to get treatment; and (3) assess the feasibility of using community-based settings as outlets for a social marketing campaign to attract and engage Latino men in mental health services. Findings suggest that problem recognition, social networks, as well as perceptions, attitudes, and knowledge about service availability affect the sequence of Latino men’s pathways to mental health services.
Learning Objectives: Participants will be able to
Keywords: Minority Research, Latino Mental Health
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.