Which Mexican-Americans underutilize health services?

Abstract

Data collected from the Los Angeles site of the National Institute of Mental Health Epidemiologic Catchment Area Program were used to examine the utilization of health services in a community population. Mexican-Americans, especially the less acculturated, had significantly lower rates of use of outpatient, but not inpatient, care than non-Hispanic whites. Differences were greater for mental than physical health care. Less acculturated Mexican-Americans made very little use of either mental health specialists or the human services sector (e.g., religious leaders). Among those with a recent psychiatric disorder, non-Hispanic whites were seven times more likely to use outpatient mental health services than the less acculturated Mexican-Americans.