Racial/ethnic differences in attitudes toward seeking professional mental health services

Objectives. This study examined racial/ethnic differences in attitudes towa rd seeking mental health services. Methods. Data from the National Comorbidity Survey, which administered a st ructured diagnostic interview to a representative sample of the US populati on (N = 8098), were analyzed, Multiple logistic regression was used, and da ta were stratified by need for mental health services. Results. African Americans with depression were more likely than Whites wit h depression to "definitely go" (odds ratio [OR]= 1.8, P < .00 1) seek ment al health services. African Americans with severe psychiatric disorders wer e less likely to be "somewhat embarrassed if friends knew they sought care" (OR = 0.3, P < .001) than were their White counterparts. Conclusions. African Americans reported more positive attitudes toward seek ing mental health services than did Whites.