Oral

The Latino population is expected to grow to nearly a quarter of the total U.S. population by the year 2025. Latinos are not only extremely heterogeneous in sociodemographic and community characteristics; their mental health disorder rates and service use profiles tend to vary broadly across immigrant and U.S.-born Latino groups. This panel presents findings addressing the role of acculturation and context and how they relate to psychopathology and service use. This panel examines the potential pathways to illness as well as how certain groups of the Latino population, such as Latino elderly, demonstrate increased risk of psychiatric illness as compared to other minorities and non-Latino whites. The panel also presents new findings of how health preferences differ across minority groups. The four papers presented in this session will examine these different issues unique to Latino mental health using the National Latino and Asian American Study (NLAAS).

Session Objectives: Describe the role of acculturation and context and how they relate to psychopathology and mental health service use among Latinos. Apply various statistical methods to understand correlates and pathways of mental health services disparities. Identify the clinical and policy implications of findings from the National Latino and Asian American Study.

CE Credits: CME, Health Education (CHES), Nursing