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. 2025 Apr;27(2):224-233.
doi: 10.1007/s10903-024-01666-7. Epub 2025 Jan 15.

Sociodemographic Variables Associated with Self-reported Access to Mental Healthcare Among Brazilian Immigrant Women in the U.S

Ashley Scott  1 , Zachary J Kunicki  2 , Mary L Greaney  3 , Clarissa Carvalho  4 , Nicholas DaRosa  5 , Chrystyan Oliveira  5 , Jennifer D Allen  6
Affiliations

Sociodemographic Variables Associated with Self-reported Access to Mental Healthcare Among Brazilian Immigrant Women in the U.S

Ashley Scott et al. J Immigr Minor Health. 2025 Apr.

Abstract

Brazilians are a rapidly growing immigrant population in the United States (U.S.), yet little is known about their mental health and access to mental healthcare. Our goal was to access associations between the pursuit of- and access to-mental healthcare with mental health status and socio-demographic characteristics among Brazilian immigrant women. We conducted an online survey of Brazilian women aged 18 or older who reported being born in Brazil and currently residing in the U.S. We recruited respondents via Brazilian cultural media, community organizations serving Brazilian immigrants, and social media. We assessed respondents' perceived access to mental healthcare, self-reported mental health (CES-D-10), and socio-demographic characteristics and conducted multivariable logistic regression. Our analysis included 351 participants. Half (52%) had CES-D-10 scores indicating high levels of depressive symptomatology. A third (33%) reported seeking care for their mental health in the past 12 months, 87% of whom reported obtaining care. Results of multivariable logistic regression determined that respondents who sought mental healthcare were more likely to have higher CES-D-10 scores (OR = 1.09, 95% CI 1.03-1.15), very low incomes (<$10,000 per year; OR = 0.34, 95% CI 0.12-0.96), and were marginally more likely to have a primary care provider (OR = 2.11, 95% CI 1.00, 4.46). We found that despite a high level of depressive symptomology, only one-third reported accessing care. While difficulty accessing care for mental issues is a widespread issue, our findings suggest that efforts are needed to ameliorate mental health issues for Brazilian women to reduce systemic, interpersonal, and individual barriers to seeking care among the 13% who sought healthcare but were unable to receive it.

Keywords: Access; Brazilian; Immigrant; Mental health; Women.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declarations. Ethics Approval and Consent to Participate: All study protocols and procedures were approved by the Institutional Review Board at Tufts University (protocol number: 00001838). All study activities were carried out in accordance with the relevant guidelines and regulations of the Declaration of Helsinki. All participants provided informed consent. Consent for Publication: Not applicable. All data is anonymous and individuals provided informed consent. Competing Interests: Authors have no competing interests.

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