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Primary Health Care Experiences of Hispanics with Serious Mental Illness: A Mixed-Methods Study

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Abstract

This mixed-methods study examines the primary health care experiences of Hispanic patients with serious mental illness. Forty patients were recruited from an outpatient mental health clinic. Participants reported a combination of perceived discrimination and stigmatization when receiving medical care. They rated the quality of chronic illness care as poor and reported low levels of self-efficacy and patient activation. These indicators were positively associated with how patients viewed their relationships with primary care providers. A grounded model was developed to describe the structural, social, and interpersonal processes that shaped participants’ primary care experiences.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported in part by the New York State Office of Mental Health, and NIH Grants: K01 MH091108, R01 MH77226, R25 MH080916, and K24 MH075867. We would like to thank Peter Guarnaccia for his comments and feedback on earlier drafts of this manuscript. The content of this article is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Social Work, Columbia University, 1255 Amsterdam Avenue, New York, NY, 10027, USA

    Leopoldo J. Cabassa & Arminda P. Gomes

  2. The New York State Center of Excellence for Cultural Competence, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA

    Leopoldo J. Cabassa

  3. New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA

    Quisqueya Meyreles, Lucia Capitelli, Dianna Dragatsi, Juana Alvarez, Andel Nicasio & Roberto Lewis-Fernández

  4. Columbia Center for Family and Community Medicine, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA

    Richard Younge

  5. Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA

    Dianna Dragatsi & Roberto Lewis-Fernández

  6. Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA

    Benjamin Druss

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  1. Leopoldo J. Cabassa
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  2. Arminda P. Gomes
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  3. Quisqueya Meyreles
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  4. Lucia Capitelli
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  5. Richard Younge
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  6. Dianna Dragatsi
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  7. Juana Alvarez
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  8. Andel Nicasio
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  9. Benjamin Druss
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  10. Roberto Lewis-Fernández
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Correspondence to Leopoldo J. Cabassa.

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Cabassa, L.J., Gomes, A.P., Meyreles, Q. et al. Primary Health Care Experiences of Hispanics with Serious Mental Illness: A Mixed-Methods Study. Adm Policy Ment Health 41, 724–736 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10488-013-0524-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10488-013-0524-2

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