Cultural Factors in Mental Health Referral Among Asian Americans

Epidemiological studies have shown that disparities in mental health service utilization still exist among ethnic minority groups in the United States. This study looks specifically at the lay referral system and what factors influence the likelihood of an individual referring a friend to mental health services. Since college student populations have fewer barriers than most to seeking treatment, 60 Asian American and 49 White American college students were sampled for the purposes of this study. They evaluated one of four vignettes in which cultural competency of the potential therapist and type of symptoms being presented were manipulated. Though there was no significant interaction found, implications of the current findings and corrections to the methodology for future research are discussed

The role of stressors and academic competence in adolescent depression by race

This study used a sample of 260 African American and European American adolescents to investigate whether adolescents\u27 perceptions of academic competence serve as a mediator of the relationship between different interpersonal stressors and depression symptoms, and whether the utility of this model changes with race. The association between exposure to violence and depression symptoms was mediated by academic competence, and race moderated the indirect paths from both discrimination experiences and violence exposure to depression. In addition to the significant differences by race, there was a significant indirect effect for African Americans exposed to violence. These findings suggest that African American adolescents may be more vulnerable to the effects of exposure to certain stressors, particularly discrimination and violence