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Examining Filipino-American Mental Health Attitudes, Needs, and Barriers to Help-Seeking
Presenter: Elyssa Kristine Marie Granados Lou
Mentor: Anne Brodsky (Psychology)
Abstract:
Although an estimated 12 percent of Filipinos living in the U.S. suffer from psychological distress, Filipinos have the lowest reported rates of help-seeking behaviors among all Asian Americans (Martinez et al., 2010; Gong et al., 2003) This research assesses attitudes toward and need for mental health services among the Filipino community living in the U.S., as well as identifies the barriers to help-seeking behaviors that contribute to mental health disparities. Open-ended interviews, averaging one hour in duration, were conducted on Zoom with ten first-generation Filipinos living in the U.S., ranging in age from 22 to 57 years old. Five participants were men and the other five were women. The interviews were transcribed with the aid of a transcription service, removing identifying information, and were analyzed using a coding framework based on key themes identified from previous literature and during the interview process. Comparisons among interview response themes especially focused on the influence of age, gender, and age at immigration on attitudes toward mental health. Interpretations from this research may inform future community interventions to increase mental health service utilization among the Filipino community and support the mental health needs of future generations of Filipino immigrants.