Help-Seeking Behaviors for Counseling and Psychological Services among Hispanic Lesbians and Bisexual Women

Jeong, Yoo Mi

Purpose:

The purpose of the study was to examine the effect of acculturation on the relationships among predisposing characteristics, enabling characteristics, and use of counseling and psychological services for depression and heavy drinking by Hispanic lesbians and bisexual women.

Methods:

The sample includes 354 participants from the original cohort and 373 participants from the new supplemental sample added in wave 3 of the Chicago Health and Life Experiences of Women (CHLEW) study.

Results:

The mean age for the sample was 40 years (SD = 14.0). Nearly one-fourth (23.7%, n = 172) of the sample identified as Hispanic. Among Hispanic participants, most identified as lesbian (72.3%); the remainder identified as bisexual (27.7%). Hispanic SMWs were found to use less or no counseling and psychological services compared with non-Hispanics. Predictors for using these services also differed by ethnicity: lifetime depression and income were predictors for using these services among Hispanic participants, whereas both lifetime and the past 12-month depression based on the Diagnostic Interview Schedule (DIS), education, and income was predictors among non-Hispanics. The results of this study highlight potential predictors for Hispanic SMWs’ use of services for issues related to their depression and heavy drinking. In addition, in both the Hispanic (OR=2.69, CI: 1.21-5.98) (p<.05) and non-Hispanic (OR=1.76, CI: 1.28, 2.43) (p<.01) groups, acculturation in terms of the ethnic social relations subscale mediated the relationship between predisposing characteristics and use of mental healthcare services.

Conclusion:

The results of this study may be helpful in understanding different predictors for using these services. In addition, the study findings may support examination of the effect of acculturation on the relationship between predisposing characteristics and using these services according to ethnic differences. In both the Hispanic and non-Hispanic groups, acculturation in terms of ethnic social relations had an independent effect on the relationship among predisposing characteristics, other enabling characteristics, and use of mental health services.