THE MENTAL-HEALTH OF ASIAN AND PACIFIC ISLAND ELDERS - IMPLICATIONS FOR RESEARCH AND MENTAL-HEALTH ADMINISTRATION

According to the 1990 census, the highly diverse Asian and Pacific Isl ander (API) American population has doubled in size from 1980 to 1990, and is now the nation's fastest growing minority group. Several studi es have documented this population's comparative underuse of mental he alth services. A review of recent studies on the mental health of Asia n and Pacific Island elders identifies a number of risk factors and pr otectors. Elder APIs appear to have poorer mental health compared to w hite counterparts but not the poorest mental health within their own e thnic group. Within-group differences emerge, with recent immigrant gr oups and colonized populations appearing as most at-risk for mental he alth problems. A critical variable on this population's mental health status appears to be socioeconomic status, and yet analysis of other d emographic variables, notably nativity and gender remain contradictory . A research agenda is proposed and implications for mental health adm inistrators are suggested.