Abstract
This study analyzed the National Epidemiological Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions data, 2001–2002, to compare the prevalence and odds of DSM-IV mood, anxiety, and substance use disorders and mental health service use across Asian American subethnic groups (648 East Asians, 485 Southeast Asians, 298 South Asians). Asian American subethnic groups varied in lifetime prevalence of psychiatric disorders (p = 0.004), mainly due to differences in the presence of any substance use disorder (p = 0.06), and specifically, drug use disorders (p = 0.02). While Southeast Asians had the highest prevalence of substance use disorders (16.7 %), fewer Southeast Asians with substance use disorders used mental health services (11.1 %) compared to South Asians with substance use disorders (24.2 %). East Asians compared to South Asians had significantly lower odds of mental health service use for substance use disorders (confidence interval = 0.08–0.84). Asian American subethnic groups vary in the prevalence of mental disorders and in mental health service use, especially for substance use disorders.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Abe-Kim, J., Takeuchi, D. T., Hong, S., Zane, N., Sue, S., Spencer, M. S., et al. (2007). Use of mental health-related services among immigrant and US-born Asian Americans: results from the National Latino and Asian American Study. [Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural Research Support, U.S. Gov’t, P.H.S.]. American Journal of Public Health, 97(1), 91–98. doi:10.2105/AJPH.2006.098541.
Akutsu, P. D., Castillo, E. D., & Snowden, L. R. (2007). Differential referral patterns to ethnic-specific and mainstream mental health programs for four Asian American groups. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 77(1), 95–103. doi:10.1037/0002-9432.77.1.95.
American Psychiatric Association. (1994). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (4th ed.). Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Association.
Anderson, R. N., & John, F. (1973). Societal and individual determinants of medical care utilization in the United States. Milbank Memorial Fund Quarterly Journal, 51, 95–124.
Chae, D. H., Takeuchi, D. T., Barbeau, E. M., Bennett, G. G., Lindsey, J. C., Stoddard, A. M., et al. (2008). Alcohol disorders among Asian Americans: associations with unfair treatment, racial/ethnic discrimination, and ethnic identification (the national Latino and Asian Americans study, 2002–2003). Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, 62(11), 973–979. doi:10.1136/jech.2007.066811.
D’avanzo, C. E. (1997). Southeast Asians: Asian-Pacific Americans at risk for substance misuse. Substance Use and Misuse, 32(7–8), 829–848. doi:10.3109/10826089709055861.
Gee, G. C., Spencer, M., Chen, J., Yip, T., & Takeuchi, D. T. (2007). The association between self-reported racial discrimination and 12-month DSM-IV mental disorders among Asian Americans nationwide. Social Science and Medicine, 64(10), 1984–1996. doi:10.1016/j.socscimed.2007.02.013.
Grant, B. F., & Dawson, D. A. (2006). Introduction to the national epidemiologic survey on alcohol and related conditions. Alcohol Research & Health, 29, 74–78.
Grant, B. F., Hasin, D. S., Stinson, F. S., Dawson, D. A., June Ruan, W., Goldstein, R. B., et al. (2005). Prevalence, correlates, co-morbidity, and comparative disability of DSM-IV generalized anxiety disorder in the USA: Results from the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions. [Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural]. Psychological Medicine, 35(12), 1747–1759. doi:10.1017/S0033291705006069.
Grant, B. F., Kaplan, K., Shepard, J., & Moore, T. (2003a). Source and accuracy statement for wave 1 of the 2001–2002 National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions. Bethesda, MD: National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.
Grant, B. F., Moore, T., & Kaplan, K. (2003b). Source and accuracy statement: Wave 1 National Epidemiologic Survey of Alcohol and Related Conditions (NESARC). Bethesda, MD: National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.
Grant, B. F., Stinson, F. S., & Dawson, D. A. (2004). Prevalence and co-occurence of substance use disorders and independent mood and anxiety disorders: Results from the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions. Archives of General Psychiatry, 61, 807–816.
Hasin, D. S., Goodwin, R. D., Stinson, F. S., & Grant, B. F. (2005). Epidemiology of major depressive disorder: Results from the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcoholism and Related Conditions. [Comparative Study Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov’t Research Support, U.S. Gov’t, P.H.S.]. Archives of General Psychiatry, 62(10), 1097–1106. doi:10.1001/archpsyc.62.10.1097.
Hasin, D. S., Stinson, F. S., Ogburn, E., & Grant, B. F. (2007). Prevalence, correlates, disability, and comorbidity of DSM-IV alcohol abuse and dependence in the United States: Results from the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions. Archives of General Psychiatry, 64(7), 830–842. doi:10.1001/archpsyc.64.7.830.
Hsu, E., Davies, C. A., & Hansen, D. J. (2004). Understanding mental health needs of Southeast Asian refugees: historical, cultural, and contextual challenges. [Historical Article Review]. Clinical Psychology Review, 24(2), 193–213. doi:10.1016/j.cpr.2003.10.003.
Hu, T. W., Snowden, L. R., Jerrell, J. M., & Kang, S. H. (1993). Public mental health services to Asian American Ethnic Groups in two California Counties. Asian American and Pacific Islander Journal of Health, 1(1), 79–90.
Humes, K., Jones, N. A., & Ramirez, R. R. (2011). Overview of race and Hispanic origin: 2010. 2010 Census Briefs: United States Census Bureau.
Lee, S. Y., Martins, S. S., Keyes, K. M., & Lee, H. B. (2011). Mental health service use by persons of Asian ancestry with DSM-IV mental disorders in the United States. [Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural]. Psychiatric Services, 62(10), 1180–1186. doi:10.1176/appi.ps.62.10.1180.
Masood, N., Okazaki, S., & Takeuchi, D. T. (2009). Gender, family, and community correlates of mental health in South Asian Americans. [Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural Research Support, U.S. Gov’t, P.H.S.]. Cultural Diversity Ethnic Minority Psychology, 15(3), 265–274. doi:10.1037/a0014301.
O’Hare, T., & Tran, T. V. (1998). Substance Abuse Among Southeast Asians in the US. Social Work in Health Care, 26(3), 69–80. doi:10.1300/J010v26n03_05.
Park, S.-Y., Shibusawa, T., Yoon, S. M., & Son, H. (2010). Characteristics of Chinese and Korean Americans in outpatient treatment for alcohol use disorders: Examining heterogeneity among Asian American subgroups. Journal of Ethnicity in Substance Abuse, 9(2), 128–142. doi:10.1080/15332641003772660.
Roberts, A. L., Gilman, S. E., Breslau, J., Breslau, N., & Koenen, K. C. (2011). Race/ethnic differences in exposure to traumatic events, development of post-traumatic stress disorder, and treatment-seeking for post-traumatic stress disorder in the United States. [Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural]. Psychological Medicine, 41(1), 71–83. doi:10.1017/S0033291710000401.
Ruan, W. J., Goldstein, R. B., Chou, S. P., Smith, S. M., Saha, T. D., Pickering, R., et al. (2008). The alcohol use disorder and associated disabilities interview schedule-IV (AUDADIS-IV): Reliability of new psychiatric diagnostic modules and risk factors in a general population sample. Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 92(1–3), 27–36. doi:10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2007.06.001.
Sentell, T., Shumway, M., & Snowden, L. (2007). Access to mental health treatment by English language proficiency and race/ethnicity. Journal of General Internal Medicine, 22(Suppl 2), 289–293. doi:10.1007/s11606-007-0345-7.
The Kaiser Family Foundation. (2008). Race, Ethnicity, Health Care: Fact Sheet. www.kff.org: Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum.
Tiwari, S. K., & Wang, J. (2008). Ethnic differences in mental health service use among White, Chinese, South Asian and South East Asian populations living in Canada. Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology, 43(11), 866–871. doi:10.1007/s00127-008-0373-6.
United Nations Statistics Division. (2011). Composition of macro geographical (continental) regions, geographical sub-regions, and selected economic and other groupings. Retrieved October 15, 2011, from http://unstats.un.org/unsd/methods/m49/m49regin.htm#asia.
U.S. Census Bureau. (2011). 2010 Census shows America’s diversity. Retrieved January 7th, 2010, from http://www.census.gov/newsroom/releases/archives/2010_census/cb11-cn125.html.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (2001). US surgeon general releases report on mental health: Culture, race, and ethnicity. Public Health Reports, 116(4), 376.
Xu, Y., Okuda, M., Hser, Y.-I., Hasin, D. S., Liu, S.-M., Grant, B. F., et al. (2011). Twelve-month prevalence of psychiatric disorders and treatment-seeking among Asian Americans/Pacific Islanders in the United States: Results from the National Epidemiological Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions. Journal of Psychiatric Research, 45(7), 910–918. doi:10.1016/j.jpsychires.2010.12.009.
Conflict of interest
Authors declare no conflict of interest.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Lee, S.Y., Martins, S.S. & Lee, H.B. Mental Disorders and Mental Health Service Use Across Asian American Subethnic Groups in the United States. Community Ment Health J 51, 153–160 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10597-014-9749-0
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10597-014-9749-0