Depressive Symptoms and Mental Health Treatment in an Ethnoracially Diverse College Student Sample

• Published in: Journal of American college health 2011-01, Vol.59 (8), p.715-720
• Main Authors: Herman, Steve, Archambeau, Olga G., Deliramich, Aimee N., Kim, Bryan S. K., Chiu, Pearl H., Frueh, B. Christopher
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; American people; Analysis of Variance; Antidepressive Agents - therapeutic use; Asian Americans; Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale; Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression scale; College Students; Continental Population Groups - psychology; Continental Population Groups - statistics & numerical data; Cultural Diversity; Depression; Depression (Psychology); Depression - epidemiology; Depression - ethnology; Depression - therapy; disparities; ethnic and racial differences; Ethnic Groups - psychology; Ethnic Groups - statistics & numerical data; Ethnicity; Female; Hawaii - epidemiology; Hawaiians; Health Services; Health Status Disparities; Health Status Indicators; Humans; Incidence; Introductory Courses; Male; Measures (Individuals); Mental depression; Mental Health; Mental health care; Mental health services; Mental Health Services - statistics & numerical data; Mental Health Services - utilization; Middle Aged; Minority Group Students; Minority Groups; Oceanic Ancestry Group; Outreach Programs; Pacific Islander people; Pacific Islanders; Prevalence; Psychology; Psychometrics; Psychotherapy; Questionnaires; Racial differences; Risk Assessment; Student Attitudes; Student Health Services - statistics & numerical data; Student Health Services - utilization; Students - psychology; Surveys and Questionnaires; Symptoms (Individual Disorders); treatment utilization; Undergraduate students; White Students; Young Adult
• ISSN: 0744-8481; 1940-3208
• DOI: 10.1080/07448481.2010.529625

Objectives: To study (a) the prevalence of depressive symptoms and (b) the utilization of mental health treatment in an ethnoracially diverse sample consisting primarily of Asian Americans, European Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders. Participants: Five hundred eighty-nine college students. Method: A questionnaire packet that included the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) was administered to students in introductory psychology courses. Results: (a) There were no differences among ethnoracial groups in levels of depressive symptoms as measured by the CES-D; (b) 71% of participants with high levels of depressive symptoms had not received any mental health treatment in the previous 12 months; and (c) European Americans were 3.7 times more likely to have received mental health treatment in the previous 12 months than other students. Conclusion: Outreach efforts designed to improve utilization of mental health treatment services by depressed college students, especially by members of ethnoracial minority groups, should be increased.