Mental health patients in a Barrio health center.

Utilization by Mexican Americans of Mental Facilities of a Barrio area neighborhood health center, and demographic and symptom characteristics of this population were investigated. The findings suggest that contrary to other studies this program was able to reach a high risk Mexican American population frequently missed by mental health programs. The barrio location, the relationship to a neighborhood health clinic and a large proportion of Spanish speaking and local personnel, seemed to be factors in this result. The patients tended to be young adult women with marital problems, somatic complaints and depressive symptoms.