Pathways to treatment: Mental health providers' experiences with Latina/o clients' care seeking. Issue 5 (2nd September 2016) - Barrera, Irán
ABSTRACT: This study examined the insight of mental health providers into the pathways Latina/os follow when dealing with mental distress. Latinos are the largest ethnic minority in the nation and their mental health continues to be a complex matter. Latinos are less likely to receive mental health treatment than non-Latino Whites. Focus groups with 25 mental health professionals provided descriptions of their Mexican-American clients' pathways to seeking mental health treatment. Pathways to mental health treatment encountered by mental health providers of Latina/o adults can vary, but follow an escalating pattern. This informal to formal treatment path is consistent with mental health care seeking behavioral theories. Implications are discussed in the context of practice and cultural considerations.