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Abstract #148788

Karen D. Bagley, MPH, Clinical Psychoology, George Mason University, 4400 University Drive, MSN 2C6, Fairfax, VA 22030, (703) 587-0755, bagleykd@mac.com and Jerome L. Short, PhD, Clinical Psychology, George Mason University, 4400 University Drive, MSN 3F5, Fairfax, VA 22030.

Despite the potential and real costs of mental health problems and the availability of successful pharmacological and psychotherapeutic treatments to treat them, formal help-seeking for these problems remains somewhat uncommon. Racial and ethnic minorities are particularly likely to go without having their needs for mental health services met. Given the sizable and growing population of minority students attending college, it is imperative that measures are taken to ensure their mental health needs are addressed. However, there is limited existing research that specifically examines factors that may be contributing to their documented lower utilization of mental health services.

This empirical study is focused on how ethnicity, culture, and contextual factors may influence the help-seeking behaviors of ethnic minority college students. Specifically this study examines the following: 1) Are racial and ethnic minorities less likely to believe they need mental health care, even though a clinical assessment may suggest otherwise? 2) Are they less likely to seek out services even when they believe they need them? 3) Once a decision is made to seek treatment, are they less likely to seek professional mental health services than other types of treatment? 4) How does culture, along with the context in which the individual lives influence these decisions?

Learning Objectives:

• Recognize racial and ethnic differences in mental health treatment seeking
• Understand the effect that race/ethnicity, culture and context may have on subjective perception of need for mental health services and actual treatment seeking behaviors

Keywords: Mental Health, Ethnic Minorities

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Any relevant financial relationships? No
Any institutionally-contracted trials related to this submission?

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.