English language proficiency and lifetime mental health service utilization in a national representative sample of Asian Americans in the USA.

Background: US Department of Health and Human Services reported that the lack of English language proficiency and the shortage of providers who possessed appropriate language skills were identified as major barriers to mental health service use for approximately half of the population of Asians and Pacific Islanders. The aim of this study was to examine the predictors of lifetime mental health service use in relation to English language proficiency among Asian Americans.

Methods: Data from 2095 Asian participants from the National Latino and Asian American Study were analyzed using logistic regression.