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Purpose: The main purpose of this paper is to examine geographic variation in unmet need for mental health care among racially/ethnically diverse adults with psychiatric disorders in the US.Methods: Drawn from the Collaborative Psychiatric Epidemiology Surveys (CPES; 2001-2003), adults with any past year psychiatric disorder diagnosis (n = 3211) from diverse racial/ethnic backgrounds were selected for analyses. Using weighted data, descriptive analyses and logistic regression analyses were conducted.Results: Two-thirds of the total sample had unmet mental health care need, which differed significantly by race/ethnicity (p < .001). Logistic regression analyses show regional variation of the effect of race/ethnicity in unmet need: after adjusting for covariates, Latinos in the South, Blacks and Latinos in the Midwest, and Latinos and Asians in the West had higher unmet need than non-Hispanic Whites, whereas no significant racial/ethnic effects were found in the Northeast.Conclusions: Findings suggest that geographic region plays an important role in the sufficient use of mental health services among racial/ethnic minorities. Further research should elucidate reasons for geographic disparities in mental health care among racial/ethnic minority adults to reduce disparities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: We assessed sexual orientation-related patterns in the 1-year longitudinal course (i.e., onset, remittance, persistence) and severity of suicidality.Method: Data were obtained from a prospective, population-based cohort representing nearly 2.4 million Swedish young adults.Results: A higher proportion of sexual minorities remitted (14.6%) compared to heterosexuals (9.5%). However, over twice as many sexual minorities (35.1%) experienced persistent suicidality as heterosexuals (15.0%). Plurisexual (e.g., bisexual, pansexual) young adults and sexual minorities aged 17-25 were at greatest risk for persistent and more severe suicidality.Conclusion: Findings call for the identification of sexual orientation-related predictors of chronic suicidality to inform responsive clinical interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis of published evidence on ethnic or racial disparities in the outpatient use versus non-use of antipsychotics and in the outpatient use of newer versus older antipsychotics. Method: Electronic databases were searched for potentially relevant studies. Two independent reviewers conducted the review in three stages: title review, abstract review and full-text review. Included studies were those that: (a) report measures of disparity in the outpatient use of antipsychotic drugs in clearly defined racial or ethnic groups (b) have a primary focus on ethnic or racial disparities, and (c) have adjusted for factors known to influence medicine use. Odds ratios were pooled following the inverse-variance method of weighting effect sizes. I2 statistics were calculated to quantify the amount of variation that is likely due to heterogeneity between studies. Funnel plots were produced and Egger’s statistic was calculated to assess potential publication bias. Results: No significant differences were found in the odds of using any antipsychotics among African Americans (OR = 1.01, CI = 0.99–1.02) compared with non-African Americans and among Latinos (OR = 0.98, CI = 0.86–1.13) compared with non-Latinos. Small to moderate but statistically non-significant disparities were also noted in other ethnic groups: Asians (OR = 1.10, CI = 0.88–1.36), Maoris (OR = 0.78, CI = 0.53–1.13) and Pacific Islanders (OR = 0.97, CI = 0.84–1.11). Among those who received antipsychotic medication, African Americans (OR = 0.62, CI = 0.50–0.78) and Latinos (OR = 0.77, CI = 0.73–0.81) appeared to have lower odds of receiving newer antipsychotics compared with non-African Americans and non-Latinos. Conclusion: No significant ethnic disparities in the use versus non-use of any antipsychotics were observed, but, among those who received antipsychotic treatment, ethnic minorities were consistently less likely than non-ethnic minorities to be treated with newer antipsychotics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Sexual minority mental health disparities are well documented. However, distinct sexual minority subgroups are often collapsed into a single "lesbian, gay, or bisexual" (LGB) analytic group. While limited research has shown sexual minority subgroup differences in mental health, little is known about the factors underlying these differences. This study examines whether sociodemographic, lifestyle, and psychosocial characteristics are associated with sexual orientation subgroup differences in mental health.Methods: Using the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions, Wave III, differences in various mental health measures, and sociodemographic, lifestyle, and psychosocial characteristics were assessed across three sexual minority subgroups [lesbians/gay men, bisexuals, and heterosexuals reporting same-sex attractions or behaviors ("heterosexual-identified sexual minorities, HSM")] and heterosexuals reporting only opposite-sex attractions and behaviors ("heterosexuals"). Sequential linear regressions evaluated the degrees to which different factors attenuated mental health (SF-12) disparities between heterosexuals and sexual minority subgroups. Analyses were sex-stratified.Results: Several sociodemographic, lifestyle, and psychosocial characteristic differences existed between sexual orientation groups. Further, all sexual minority subgroups had lower SF-12 scores than heterosexuals, except lesbian women. Sociodemographic factors attenuated the disparity for bisexual men. Sociodemographic, lifestyle, plus psychosocial factors attenuated the disparity for HSM men. However, sociodemographic, lifestyle, and psychosocial factors partially, but did not fully, attenuate the disparity for gay men, bisexual women, or HSM women.Conclusions: Different factors are associated with mental health disparities for sexual minority subgroups. To maximize health intervention efforts, additional research is needed to uncover the specific mechanisms contributing to health disparities across diverse sexual minority populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Mental health disparities between sexual minorities and heterosexuals remain inadequately understood, especially across levels of educational attainment. The purpose of the present study was to test whether education modifies the association between sexual orientation and mental disorder. Methods: We compared the odds of past 12-month and lifetime psychiatric disorder prevalence (any Axis-I, any mood, any anxiety, any substance use, and comorbidity) between lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) and heterosexual individuals by educational attainment (those with and without a bachelor's degree), adjusting for covariates, and tested for interaction between sexual orientation and educational attainment. Data are drawn from the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions, a nationally representative survey of non-institutionalized US adults ( N = 34,653; 577 LGB). Results: Sexual orientation disparities in mental health are smaller among those with a college education. Specifically, the disparity in those with versus those without a bachelor's degree was attenuated by 100 % for any current mood disorder, 82 % for any current Axis-I disorder, 76 % for any current anxiety disorder, and 67 % for both any current substance use disorder and any current comorbidity. Further, the interaction between sexual orientation and education was statistically significant for any current Axis-I disorder, any current mood disorder, and any current anxiety disorder. Our findings for lifetime outcomes were similar. Conclusions: The attenuated mental health disparity at higher education levels underscores the particular risk for disorder among LGBs with less education. Future studies should consider selection versus causal factors to explain the attenuated disparity we found at higher education levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Prevalence rates, and bivariate comorbidity patterns, of many common mental disorders differ significantly across ethnic groups. While studies have examined multivariate comorbidity patterns by gender and age, no studies to our knowledge have examined such patterns by ethnicity. Such an investigation could aid in understanding the nature of ethnicity-related health disparities in mental health and is timely given the likely implementation of multivariate comorbidity structures (i.e., internalizing and externalizing) to frame key parts of DSM-5. Methods: We investigated whether multivariate comorbidity of 11 common mental disorders, and their associated latent comorbidity factors, differed across five ethnic groups in a large, nationally representative sample ( n = 43,093). We conducted confirmatory factor analyses and factorial invariance analyses in White ( n = 24,507), Hispanic/Latino ( n = 8,308), Black ( n = 8,245), Asian/Pacific Islander ( n = 1,332), and American Indian/Alaska Native ( n = 701) individuals. Results: Results supported a two-factor internalizing-externalizing comorbidity factor model in both lifetime and 12-month diagnoses. This structure was invariant across ethnicity, but factor means differed significantly across ethnic groups. Conclusions: These findings, taken together, indicated that observed prevalence rate differences between ethnic groups reflect ethnic differences in latent internalizing and externalizing factor means. We discuss implications for classification (DSM-5 and ICD-11 meta-structure), health disparities research, and treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Many African Americans are socioeconomically disadvantaged and live in neighborhoods containing chronic sources of stress. Although environmental stressors can contribute to the development of mental illness, there is a paucity of national studies examining the association of neighborhood crime and drug problems with psychiatric disorders. This study aims to determine if higher levels of perceived neighborhood problems are associated with greater prevalence of 12-month and lifetime psychiatric disorders among African Americans. Methods: To do so, we used cross-sectional data from the National Survey of American Life, which interviewed a nationally representative sample of 3,570 African Americans. Results: Of these African Americans, nearly 20 and 40% reported that crime and drug use are problems in their neighborhoods, respectively. Respondents reporting high levels of perceived neighborhood crime or drug problems are 1.5-2.9 times more likely to have a 12-month psychiatric disorder and 1.4-2.1 times more likely to have a lifetime psychiatric disorder compared to the other respondents. After accounting for sociodemographics and chronic disease, neighborhood crime remains associated with 12-month mood, 12-month substance use, and lifetime substance use disorders, whereas neighborhood drug problems remain significantly associated with 12-month and lifetime anxiety and substance use disorders. Conclusions: Among African Americans perceived neighborhood problems are widespread and positively associated with psychiatric disorders. Consideration of neighborhood context is important to more comprehensively understand mental illness and its treatment in this population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Differential diagnosis of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder is a challenging but important task. These conditions often exhibit overlapping clinical symptomatology, but have different prognoses and pharmacological management strategies. Factors other than clinical presentation may influence diagnosis. Past studies suggest that ethnicity is one such factor, with variations observed in diagnostic rates of serious mental illness (SMI). With increasing attention paid to provider cultural competency, we investigate current diagnostic practices within a veteran population.Method: Controlling for patient need characteristics and illness severity, we examine whether ethnic differences in diagnosis continue to exist. If so, race may adversely enter the evaluation process. A national database of all SMI veterans explores the relationship between ethnicity and diagnosis. The role of symptomatology is also examined. Given minimal variation in veteran socioeconomic status, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) provides a natural setting to address this confounding factor. The 1999 National Psychosis Registry provides a sample of 134,523 veterans diagnosed with schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, or bipolar disorder. Multinomial logistic regression yielded odds ratios (OR) for being diagnosed with schizophrenia versus bipolar disorder; the schizoaffective versus bipolar risk was likewise assessed, exploring theoretical aspects of a psychosis-affective 'continuum'.Results: Small effects were observed for being male, single or rural resident. However, the demographic characteristic most strongly associated with a schizophrenia diagnosis was race. The OR for African Americans was 4.05, and 3.15 for Hispanics. Similar though less dramatic results were revealed for schizoaffective disorder.Conclusions: This study confirms continued ethnic disparities in diagnostic patterns, and highlights the importance of recognizing ethnic differences in symptom presentation while emphasizing greater cultural competency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]