Namkee Choi
School of Social Work
The University of Texas at Austin
1 University Station D3500
Austin TX 78712-0358
U.S.A.
Phone: 512-232-9590
FAX: 512-471-9600
Email: nchoi@mail.utexas.edu

Purpose: This study aimed at identifying factors that facilitated Latino older adults’ access to specialty mental health services.  Latino older adults, despite their increasing numbers, are underserved by the mental health system.  Previous studies have identified barriers to service access among minorities and neglected the identification of factors contributing to their service access. Understanding of factors that facilitate Latino older adults’ access to care is needed to better meet mental health needs of older Latinos.

Methods: Three focus groups of geriatric mental health practitioners (n=15) were held in three different cities in Central Texas.  The groups were semi-structured, lasted two hours, and were audiotaped.  Practitioners were asked a series of open-ended questions about who was involved in the referral process and what brought older Latinos to treatment.  All focus group discussions were transcribed, read through multiple times, and coded for common themes.

Results: Practitioners identified grief associated with loss of spouse, loss of independence due to deteriorating health, and loss of job as one common factor that precipitated older adults’ access to mental health service.  Among Latinos, both dwindling informal support systems because of the geographic dispersion of adult children and conflicts with coresiding adult children also contributed to service access. Practitioners also pointed out the significance of dispelling the misperceptions about mental illness and having bilingual/bicultural practitioners in attracting older Latinos. In addition, referral from physicians was an important contributing factor, as older Latinos regarded their physician as an authority figure.

Implications for Practice: The findings of this study have the following practice implications: (1) educate informal support systems of older Latinos to increase awareness of mental illness; (2) train more bilingual/bicultural mental health clinicians; and (3) strengthen physician referral system need.