Shin Jinah K
Columbia University, School of Nursing, New York 10032-3703, USA.
Issues Ment Health Nurs. 2002 Jul-Aug;23(5):461-76. doi: 10.1080/01612840290052640.
Underutilization of mental health services by Asian immigrants has been an ongoing concern for those attempting to provide accessible care for people suffering from mental illness. The author investigated Korean immigrants' help-seeking behaviors for depression to understand their underutilization of mental health services. The study involved 6 focus group discussions and 24 in-depth interviews with 70 Korean immigrants in New York City. Prolonged care within family and traditional Asian practices led to a delay in seeking mental health services, keeping many Korean immigrants with depression out of the delivery system. The lack of interface between formal service providers and psychiatric service providers also caused delayed treatment. This study suggests the need for a comprehensive care model based on community education, linking mental health care with other services, and cultural brokering, as ways to connect population needs with mental health service delivery.
亚洲移民对心理健康服务的利用不足，一直是那些试图为患有精神疾病的人提供可及护理的人所持续关注的问题。作者调查了韩国移民针对抑郁症的求助行为，以了解他们对心理健康服务利用不足的情况。该研究包括对纽约市70名韩国移民进行6次焦点小组讨论和24次深入访谈。家庭内部的长期照料以及传统的亚洲习俗导致了寻求心理健康服务的延迟，使得许多患有抑郁症的韩国移民无法进入医疗体系。正规服务提供者和精神科服务提供者之间缺乏衔接，也造成了治疗延迟。本研究表明，需要一种基于社区教育、将心理保健与其他服务相联系以及文化斡旋的综合护理模式，以此作为将人群需求与心理健康服务提供相连接的方式。
