Treatment Gaps
- The onset of serious mental illness occurs largely in late adolescence and early adulthood.
- There are significant gaps in mental health services for both Latino youth and adults.
- Across 3 national studies, Latino youth are much less likely to receive mental health services than Euro American and African American children. This difference holds up even among those children with the highest need for mental health services. (Kataoka et al., 2002)
- Latino adults who are foreign-‐born and Spanish-‐speaking are much less likely to receive mental health services than other Latino subgroups and other racial/ethnic groups. (Alegria et al., 2007; Vega et al., 1999) Early Treatment of Serious Mental Illness
- Persons with their first episode of serious mental illness take between one to two years in obtaining appropriate treatment. (Penttila et al, 2014)
- The longer the illness is left untreated, the worse the illness becomes. (Marshall et al., 2005; Penttila et al., 2014)
- Given that Latinos tend not to seek mental health services, they are at risk to have long delays in seeking appropriate treatment.
- Delays in obtaining treatment can be reduced through outreach campaigns. (Melle et al. 2004)
- Reductions in treatment delay are associated with reductions in illness severity. (ten Velden Hegelstad et al., 2012)
Early Treatment of Serious Mental Illness
- Persons with their first episode of serious mental illness take between one to two years in obtaining appropriate treatment. (Penttila et al, 2014)
- The longer the illness is left untreated, the worse the illness becomes. (Marshall et al., 2005; Penttila et al., 2014)
- Given that Latinos tend not to seek mental health services, they are at risk to have long delays in seeking appropriate treatment.
- Delays in obtaining treatment can be reduced through outreach campaigns. (Melle et al. 2004)
- Reductions in treatment delay are associated with reductions in illness severity. (ten Velden Hegelstad et al., 2012)
References
Alegría, M., Mulvaney-‐Day, N., Woo, M., Torres, M., Gao, S., & Oddo, V. (2007b). Correlates of past-year mental health service use among Latinos: Results from the National Latino and Asian American Study. American Journal of Public Health, 97, 76-83.
Kataoka, S. H., Zhang, L., & Wells, K. B. (2002). Unmet need for mental health care among U.S. children: Variation by ethnicity and insurance status. American Journal of Psychiatry, 159, 1548-1555.
Marshall, M., Lewis, S., Lockwood, A., Drake, R., Jones, P., & Croudace, T. (2005). Association between duration of untreated psychosis and outcome in cohorts of first-episode patients: A systematic review. Archives of General Psychiatry, 62(9), 975-983. doi:10.1001/archpsyc.62.9.975
Melle, I., Larsen, T. K., Haahr, U., Friis, S., Johannessen, J. O., Opjordsmoen, S., . . . McGlashan, T. (2004). Reducing the duration of untreated first-episode psychosis: Effects on clinical presentation. Archives of General Psychiatry, 61(2), 143-‐150. doi:10.1001/archpsyc.61.2.143
Penttila, M., Jaaskelainen, E., Hirvonen, N., Isohanni, M., & Miettunen, J. (2014). Duration of untreated psychosis as predictor of long- term outcome in schizophrenia: Systematic review and meta-analysis. British Journal of Psychiatry, 205, 88-94. Doi: 10.1192/bjp.bp.113.127753
Ten Velden Hegelstad, W., Larsen, T. K., Auestad, B., Evensen, J., Haahr, U., Joa, I., . . . McGlashan, T. (2012). Long-term follow-up of the TIPS early detection in psychosis study: effects on 10-year outcome. American Journal of Psychiatry, 169, 374-380.
Vega, W. A., Kolody, B., Aguilar-Gaxiola, S., & Catalano, R. (1999). Gaps in service utilization by Mexican Americans with mental health problems. American Journal of Psychiatry, 156(6), 928-934.