Family matters: A qualitative study of stressors experienced by Korean American college students during the COVID-19 pandemic.

This study explores mental health stressors related to family dynamics of Korean American college students during the time of the COVID-19 pandemic. In January 2021, using purposive sampling, we recruited 15 Korean American student leaders at a west coast university. Self-identified leaders were interviewed Zoom, and data were transcribed verbatim and analyzed using a thematic analytic approach based on grounded theory.

Exploring second generation Korean American alcohol use through church-based participatory research: A rapid ethnographic assessment in Los Angeles, California, United States.

The prevalence of heavy drinking is high among Korean Americans (KAs), but alcohol treatment utilisation is low. Korean American drinking behaviours may be attributable to the Korean drinking culture. However, relatively little research has been conducted to explore this narrative.

Addressing Mental Health Challenges of Samoan Americans in Southern California: Perspectives of Samoan Community Providers.

While a variety of health concerns have been documented, little is presently known about the mental health challenges facing Samoan Americans in Southern California. This community-based research study investigated the perspectives of Samoan healthcare providers affiliated with two Los Angeles County agencies regarding: 1) mental health challenges; 2) obstacles to use of formal services to address mental health concerns, and 3) recommendations and needed resources for development of culturally responsive interventions to address mental health challenges. Eleven healthcare advocates affiliated with two agencies specializing in health and social services for Samoans participated in a 90-minute group discussion and/or an individual interview.

Mental Health Status, Need, and Unmet Need for Mental Health Services Among U.S. Pacific Islanders.

Objective: This study examined the mental health status, need for services, and unmet need of community-dwelling Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islanders (NHPI).

Methods: Survey data were collected from 223 NHPI adults of Samoan or Marshallese heritage. Surveys were translated into Samoan and Marshallese by using back-translation, with feedback from cultural experts.

Mental illness stigma among Pacific Islanders.

Native Hawaiians and other Pacific Islanders (NHPI) rarely seek mental health treatment for reasons that are minimally understood. To assess the mental illness stigma context in NHPI communities that may be contributing to low help-seeking, this study collected novel stigma data from two large U.S.

Beliefs About Etiology and Treatment of Mental Illness Among Korean Presbyterian Pastors.

This descriptive study explored pastors' beliefs about etiology and treatment of mental illness. Surveys were completed by mail by 202 Korean and Euro-American Presbyterian clergy. Nearly one-third of Korean pastors viewed bad parenting and demon possession as very important causes of mental illness, in contrast to the more than two-thirds of Euro-American pastors who viewed genetics and chemical imbalances as the most important causes.

Psychological Distress Behavioral Patterns Among Latinos: We Don't See Ourselves as Worthless.

A cross-sectional study of 4921 Latinos from the National Health Interview Survey was conducted to examine behavioral patterns of psychological distress among Latinos. Latent class analysis was used to ascertain psychological distress behavioral profiles among Latinos. Analysis revealed four latent classes of distress, which included moderate psychological distress (13.

Development of a spirituality-infused cognitive behavioral intervention for individuals with serious mental illnesses.

Objective: Spirituality offers a vital coping resource that can bolster mental health and psychosocial well-being for individuals with serious mental illnesses (SMI). However, limited research on spirituality-infused evidence-based interventions exists to assist providers in mobilizing spirituality as a mental health resource. This article presents the cognitive-behavioral intervention Spiritual Strategies for Psychosocial Recovery (SSPR), developed to promote recovery among ethnoculturally diverse individuals with SMI by strengthening their coping mechanisms for internal and external distress through spiritual means.

Remission of symptoms in community-based psychosocial rehabilitation services for individuals with schizophrenia.

Objective: The aims of this study were to determine the prevalence of remission in individuals with schizophrenia at baseline and 6 months after admission to community-based psychosocial rehabilitation and whether baseline intrapersonal and environmental resources predicted remission at 6 months, controlling for relevant demographic and clinical variables.

Method: The sample featured 187 individuals with schizophrenia spectrum disorder. To determine remission status, consensus-based criteria proposed by the Remission in Schizophrenia Working Group were adapted to identify predictors of remission outcomes, direct binary logistic regression analysis was performed.

Correlates in the Endorsement of Psychotic Symptoms and Services Use: Findings from the Collaborative Psychiatric Epidemiology Surveys.

Endorsement of psychotic symptoms serves as an indicator of significant health issues and interpersonal distress. Seeking services is the ultimate recourse for many individuals, yet few studies have assessed the help-seeking process in a nationally representative sample. This study, guided by Lewis-Fernández et al.

Interdependent recovery of adults with schizophrenia: Asian American consumer perspectives of family involvement and influence.

Objective: Family involvement is important in the recovery experience of culturally diverse adults with schizophrenia. However, little is known about the influence of family among consumers purported to have close family ties without regular contact. This study explored Asian American consumers' views about family relationships and participation in their recovery.

State of spirituality-infused mental health services in Los Angeles County wellness and client-run centers.

Spiritual coping is associated with positive mental health outcomes for individuals with serious mental illness, yet spirituality-infused services are seldom offered in public sector mental health agencies. The Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health introduced a policy addressing spirituality in 2012. This study explored the breadth and degree to which spirituality-infused activities were being offered in 53 Los Angeles wellness and recovery centers after the policy was widely disseminated.

Hope and burden among Latino families of adults with schizophrenia.

This study examined hope and family burden among Latino families of individuals with schizophrenia. The sample consisted of 54 family members, one family member per outpatient adult recruited from public mental health programs in a diverse urban community. Hierarchical linear regression analyses were used to test the hypothesis that the family member's increased hope for the patient's future would be associated with decreased family burden beyond effects explained by the patient's length of illness and severity of symptoms.

Community mental health allies: referral behavior among Asian American immigrant Christian clergy.

Asian American Christian faith leaders support and provide an array of services within their communities. However, little is known about their response to congregants' mental health concerns. This study examined correlates of mental health referral behavior among 103 Asian American Christian clergy in California who completed an anonymous mail survey.

Culturally Based Intervention Development: The Case of Latino Families Dealing With Schizophrenia.

OBJECTIVES: This article describes the process of developing a culturally based family intervention for Spanish-speaking Latino families with a relative diagnosed with schizophrenia. METHOD: Our iterative intervention development process was guided by a cultural exchange framework and based on findings from an ethnographic study. We piloted this multifamily group 16-session intervention with 59 Latino families in a randomized control trial.

Using the cross-cultural care survey to assess cultural competency in graduate medical education.

Background: Cultural competency is an important part of medical policy and practice, yet the evidence base for the effectiveness of training in this area is weak. One reason is the lack of valid, reliable, and feasible tools to quantify measures of knowledge, skill, and attitudes before and/or after cultural training. Given that cultural competency is a critical aspect of "professionalism" and "interpersonal and communication skills," such a tool would aid in assessing the impact of such training in residency programs.

Intrinsic motivation as a mediator of relationships between symptoms and functioning among individuals with schizophrenia spectrum disorders in a diverse urban community.

This study investigated intrinsic motivation as a mediator of the relationship between clinical symptoms and functioning. The mediation model was tested with a sample of 166 adults with schizophrenia spectrum disorders attending psychosocial rehabilitation programs in a diverse urban community. Ethnic minority status was examined as a moderator of the mediation model.

A culturally relevant conceptualization of depression: an empirical examination of the factorial structure of the Vietnamese Depression Scale.

Background: Despite the high risk of depression among Vietnamese refugees, there has been insufficient attention to the psychometric properties of the most utilized scale, the Vietnamese Depression Scale (VDS: Kinzie et al., 1982).

Aim: The primary aim of the study is to empirically derive the factorial structure of the VDS to support its use as a culturally responsive depression screening tool in community samples of Vietnamese adults.

Addressing mental health disparities through clinical competence not just cultural competence: the need for assessment of sociocultural issues in the delivery of evidence-based psychosocial rehabilitation services.

Recognition of ethnic/racial disparities in mental health services has not directly resulted in the development of culturally responsive psychosocial interventions. There remains a fundamental need for assessment of sociocultural issues that have been linked with the expectations, needs, and goals of culturally diverse consumers with severe and persistent mental illness. The authors posit that embedding the assessment of sociocultural issues into psychosocial rehabilitation practice is one step in designing culturally relevant empirically supported practices.

Unmet needs for mental health services for latino older adults: perspectives from consumers, family members, advocates, and service providers.

This study qualitatively assessed the need for mental health services among Latino older adults in San Diego, California. The primary mental health issue was depression. Primary organizational barriers to accessing services were language and cultural barriers secondary to a lack of translators, dearth of information on available services, and scarcity of providers representative of the Latino community.

Cultural differences in access to care.

As high-profile reviews have appeared and international interest has grown, sophisticated studies of the U.S. population continue to document racial and ethnic disparities in initiation of mental health care and in continuity of care.

Cross-ethnic evaluation of psychotic symptom content in hospitalized middle-aged and older adults.

Objective: The objective of this study was to examine ethnic differences in the content of delusions and hallucinations among a tri-ethnic sample of adult psychiatric inpatients older than 40 years who were hospitalized with an acute psychotic episode.

Methods: A chart review of inpatient episodes for 133 middle-aged and older adult patients (31 African Americans, 50 Latinos, and 52 Euro-Americans) with a mean age of 50 years was performed at an acute behavioral medicine unit at a university hospital. All patients were diagnosed with a severe psychotic disorder.

Tri-ethnic variations of co-morbid substance and alcohol use disorders in schizophrenia.

Objectives: This study examined the differential prevalence of substance and alcohol use disorders among European Americans, African Americans, and Latinos with schizophrenia (n = 6424) who received public mental health services in San Diego County during fiscal year 2002-2003.

Methods: Data were obtained from the public mental health database used by the San Diego County Mental Health System. Chi-Square analyses and stepwise logistic regression analyses were used to examine differences regarding the prevalence of substance and alcohol use among clients with schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder, and to analyze the sociodemographic variables associated with this co-morbidity.