Mohsin Farhan, Aravala Sai, Rahman Tasfia, Ali Shahmir H, Taher M D, Mitra Paroma, Misra Supriya
NYU Grossman School of Medicine, Institute for Excellence in Health Equity, 180 Madison Ave, New York, NY, 10016, USA.
NYU School of Global Public Health, 708 Broadway, New York, NY, 10003, USA.
Community Ment Health J. 2025 Jan;61(1):39-49. doi: 10.1007/s10597-024-01323-1. Epub 2024 Jul 24.
South Asians (SAs) underutilize mental health services compared to many racial and ethnic groups in the United States (US), yet there is limited research on the experiences of SAs living with severe mental illness (SMI). This study examined psychiatric healthcare experiences of SA patients with SMI diagnoses (e.g., severe depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia) in New York City. Data collection included semi-structured interviews with 36 participants (21 patients, 11 family members, 4 clinicians). Data was managed in NVivo. Two pairs of SA researchers conducted thematic analysis. Limited mental health knowledge led to delayed care for SAs due to a low perceived need for help. Ease of access, linguistic resources, patient-provider relationships, and family involvement influenced psychiatric healthcare experiences. Prescribed medications, self-motivation, communication, and religious practices were factors aiding symptom management and recovery. Findings highlight the need for improving psychiatric healthcare access and culturally-salient mental health education for SA communities.
与美国许多种族和族裔群体相比，南亚人对心理健康服务的利用不足，然而，关于患有严重精神疾病（SMI）的南亚人的经历的研究却很有限。本研究调查了纽约市被诊断患有严重精神疾病（如重度抑郁症、双相情感障碍、精神分裂症）的南亚患者的精神病医疗经历。数据收集包括对36名参与者（21名患者、11名家庭成员、4名临床医生）进行的半结构化访谈。数据在NVivo中进行管理。两对南亚研究人员进行了主题分析。心理健康知识有限导致南亚人因感知到的求助需求低而延迟就医。就医便利性、语言资源、医患关系和家庭参与度影响了精神病医疗经历。处方药、自我激励、沟通和宗教活动是有助于症状管理和康复的因素。研究结果强调了改善南亚社区精神病医疗服务可及性和提供具有文化针对性的心理健康教育的必要性。
