Avoiding a Stigmatized Identity: How Acculturation and Reflected Appraisals Affect Comfortableness with Mental Health Providers

• In Event: 3129 - Section on Medical Sociology Refereed Roundtables (1 hour)
  In Refereed Roundtable 60min: Table 11. Mental Health Stigma

Abstract

Drawing on the frameworks on stigma, labeling theory, and reflected appraisals, this study aims to identify the relationships between race, acculturation, and attitude towards mental health services. Using the Houston Culture and Mental Health Survey (N=2,010), we examine racial differences on mental health services attitude and the impact of race and acculturation on attitudes towards mental health services. Results show that among Asians, Blacks, Latinx, and whites, Asians are the only racial group that were less comfortable seeking mental health services than whites. After controlling for sociodemographic variables and previous medical experience, negative reflected appraisals are associated with less comfortableness in seeking help from a mental health provider. In addition, acculturation had a positive association with perceiving that medicine and counseling is effective, which was in turn positively associated with comfortableness of seeking mental health services. Implications of this study are discussed.

Authors

• Fernando Clark, University of Georgia

• Yvonne Chen, Vanderbilt University