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Publication Date

2015

Document Type

Dissertation

Department

School for Social Work

Keywords

Hispanic American veterans-Mental health services, Mental health services-Utilization, Latino, Hispanic, Service utilization, Mental healthcare, Veteran

Abstract

Previous research identified disparities in health service utilization between Latinos and non-Latino Whites. This study examines patterns of mental health service utilization in a sample of Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans (N = 740) with 35 percent Latino (n = 259) and 65 percent non-Latino White (n = 481) to identify potential disparities and predictors of service utilization. Predisposing, enabling, and need factors are tested as predictors of utilization. No significant differences in mental health symptoms or health service utilization between Latino and non Latino White Veterans emerge. Predisposing, enabling and need factors are significantly related to utilization in both groups, but only need factors predict utilization in Latino Veterans, including pain symptoms. Only enabling and need factors predict utilization in non-Latino White Veterans. Latino Veterans appear to have similar patters of mental health service utilization in the VA to non-Latino White Veterans. Implications and directions for research are discussed.

Language

English

Comments

iv, 129 pages. Ph.D. Dissertation-Smith College School for Social Work, Northampton, Ma., 2016. Includes bibliographical references (pages 75-88)

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