Multifaceted mental illness stigma and help-seeking behaviors among Latino older adults experiencing behavioral health problems.

OBJECTIVES

U.S.-based Latino older adult populations face disproportionate barriers to accessing behavioral health services. We examined associations between multifaceted mental illness stigma and help-seeking from different sources of behavioral health supports among understudied Latino older adults with behavioral health problems.

METHODS

Data come from a cross-sectional survey that included U.S.-based Latino residents ages 50-86 (N=274; 2021). The survey measured mental illness biopsychosocial causal beliefs, treatment efficacy beliefs, and social rejection beliefs as multiple facets of mental illness stigma that may influence mental and physical health help-seeking behaviors from four sources: traditional media, online/digital media, family/friends, and healthcare providers. Linear regression models examined associations between each stigma component and each help-seeking outcome, adjusting for personal/family factors in the full sample of Latino older adults and among a subsample reporting a self/familial behavioral health problem (n=173).

RESULTS

Among Latino older adults with self/familial behavioral health problems, higher biopsychosocial causal beliefs were associated with increased mental and physical health help-seeking from healthcare providers (p<0.05), while social rejection beliefs were associated with decreased mental/physical health help-seeking from healthcare providers (p<0.05). Similarly, higher biopsychosocial causal beliefs were associated with increased mental health help-seeking from traditional media (p<0.05) among those with self/familial behavioral health problems. No associations were observed between stigma components and mental/physical health help-seeking from online media or family/friends. Similar results, though attenuated, were found in the full sample.

DISCUSSION: Multifaceted anti-stigma interventions for multi-generational Latino families may be an opportune strategy for increasing help-seeking for behavioral health problems among Latino older adults.