Mexican-American mental health service utilization: a critical examination of some proposed variables.

A number of reports indicate that Mexican-Americans have a lower prevalence of mental health service usage than other ethnic groups. Although a number of factors have been proposed to account for their underutilization, none of the factors have been adequately supported by existing research. Variables associated with the responsiveness and quality of mental health services, particularly the availability of bilingual-bicultural staff, are advocated as the most relevant areas for future research.