UC Irvine

Objectives

This study examined potential barriers to mental healthcare use of older adults from diverse ethnic and racial backgrounds.

Design

Data were obtained from the 2007, 2009, 2011-12, and 2013-14 California Health Interview Survey (CHIS), a population-based survey representative of California's noninstitutionalized population.

Participants

The total sample consisted of 75,324 non-Hispanic white (NHW), 6,600 black, 7,695 Asian and Pacific Islander (API), and 4,319 Hispanic adults aged 55 and older.

Results

Results from logistic regression analyses that controlled for multiple demographic and health status characteristics revealed ethnic and racial differences in reasons for not seeking treatment and for terminating treatment. Specifically, API and Hispanic adults had greater odds than NHWs of endorsing feeling uncomfortable talking to a professional as a reason for not seeking treatment. Hispanic respondents had lower odds of endorsing concerns about someone finding out than APIs, and APIs and blacks had significantly greater odds of endorsing this concern as a reason for not seeking treatment than NHWs. When asked about reasons for no longer receiving treatment, all respondents, irrespective of race or ethnicity, endorsed that they no longer needed treatment as the most frequent reason for terminating treatment, although specific ethnic and racial differences emerged with respect to perceptions of not getting better, lack of time or transportation, and lack of insurance coverage as reasons for no longer seeking treatment.

Conclusion

Understanding how barriers to mental health treatment differ for older adults from diverse ethnic and racial backgrounds is an important step toward designing interventions to overcome these obstacles and improve mental health outcomes.