Graduation Year
2024
Date of Submission
12-2023
Document Type
Campus Only Senior Thesis
Degree Name
Bachelor of Arts
Department
Psychology
Reader 1
Wei-Chin Hwang
Terms of Use & License Information
Rights Information
2023 Romel Pacheco
Abstract
Similar to other racial/ethnic groups, Latinos are at high risk of developing mental disorders. However, Latinos are among the least likely to engage in mental health service utilization. This discrepancy in mental health service utilization may be attributed to culture-specific barriers (e.g., stigma, acculturation) and culture-universal barriers (e.g., socioeconomic status and access to healthcare). This paper first discusses these risk factors and their impact on help-seeking behavior within Latin American subgroups living in the United States. This paper then introduces general frameworks that explain help-seeking behavior, specifically honing in on Andersen’s sociobehavioral model (1995). Each of the four models discussed fail to address culture-specific risk factors, thus this paper includes cultural adaptations that expand the applicability of Andersen’s model to a Latino context. Finally, this paper concludes by providing recommendations for addressing these culture-specific and culture-universal barriers to mental health care through the implementation of cultural-competence and cultural-humility.
Recommended Citation
Pacheco, Romel, "Improving Mental Health Service Engagement among Latinos in the United States Through Culturally Adapted Interventions" (2024). CMC Senior Theses. 3433.
https://scholarship.claremont.edu/cmc_theses/3433
This thesis is restricted to the Claremont Colleges current faculty, students, and staff.
