Prevalence of Mental health and Receipt of Services in Latino Immigrants Living in Philadelphia

Abstract Background and Purpose Research shows that Latino populations are less likely to seek formal mental health services, these attitudes combined with difficulty finding affordable services impact the ability to receive a mental health diagnosis. This project examines mental health symptoms, utilization of mental health services, and socio-ecological barriers to receive mental health services among Latino immigrants, including region of origin, health insurance, immigration status, and English proficiency. Methods Data was collected between 2021-2022 by Drexel University’s CRISOL lab using a cross-sectional respondent-driven sample survey of Latinos born outside the U.S. mainland and residing in Philadelphia. The final sample included 420 Latino/a/e immigrants. Descriptive statistics and bivariate associations using Chi-square analyses were computed. Outcomes The findings revealed that 29.1% of the surveyed individuals exhibited signs of Depression, 36.1% experienced symptoms of Anxiety, 8.7% showed signs of PTSD, and 43.4% possessed one or more mental health conditions. The findings show that country of origin (p<.01), health insurance (p<.05), immigration status (p<.01), and language proficiency (p<.001) are significantly associated with whether an individual has received mental health services in the past year or in their lifetime. Of the survey population, only 39.5% of individuals with one or more mental issues had received mental health services in their lifetime. Conclusions Interventions to increase access to mental health services for Latino communities are needed. Solutions addressing disparities in access to mental health services must address systemic, cultural, and language barriers. Key messages • Region of origin, health insurance, immigration status, and English proficiency impact the utilization of mental health services. • Immigrant populations face stressors that increase the risk for mental health disease and experience multiple barriers to access mental health services.