Disparities in Mental Health Service Use of Racial and Ethnic Minority Elderly Adults

Abstract

Low mental health treatment initiation and poor adequacy suggest the need for culturally appropriate interventions to engage older blacks and Latinos in mental health care. The surprising findings in blacks (higher rates of outpatient care visits) and Latinos (higher rates of medication plus outpatient visits) highlight the complexities of the older adult population and suggest new avenues for disparities research.