The role of self-rated mental health in seeking professional mental health services among older Korean immigrants

Abstract

Objectives

The gap between mental health needs and service use in racial/ethnic minorities continues to be a major public health concern. Focusing on older Korean immigrants, the present study examined linkages among mental distress, self-rated mental health (SRMH), and the use of professional mental health services. We hypothesized that SRMH would play a mediating role in the relationship between mental distress and the use of professional mental health services.

Method

Using data from the Study of Older Korean Americans (SOKA; N = 2,150, Mean age = 73.4), the direct and indirect effect models were tested.

Results

Nearly 30% of the sample fell within the category of experiencing mental distress, but only a small proportion (5.7%) had used professional mental health services. Supporting our hypothesis, the pathway from mental distress to the use of professional mental health services was influenced by an individual’s subjective perception of mental health status: the indirect effect of mental distress on service use through SRMH (.04 [.01]) was significant (bias-corrected 95% confidence interval for the indirect effect = .02, .06).

Conclusion

The findings of this study not only contribute to our understanding of help-seeking processes in a group at high mental health risk but also suggest avenues to promote their use of mental health services.

Keywords:

• Mental distress
• self-rated mental health
• mental health service use
• older Korean Americans

Disclosure statement

The authors report no conflicts of interest.

Additional information

Funding

Data collection was supported by a grant from the National Institute on Aging (R01AG047106; PI: Yuri Jang, Ph.D.). Dr. Seunghye Hong’s work on the manuscript was partially supported by the Core University Program for Korean Studies through the Ministry of Education of the Republic of Korea and the Korean Studies Promotion Service of the Academy of Korean Studies (AKS-2015-OLU-2250005).