Disparities in psychological distress and access to mental health services among immigrants with rheumatologic disease.

Immigrant patients with rheumatologic disease in the US had higher rates of severe psychological distress yet were less likely to receive MHS compared to US-born patients. Immigrants with rheumatologic illness were less likely to receive MHS if they were male, Black, Hispanic, Asian, older, lower income, or uninsured. This lack of MHS receipt may contribute to disparities in functional outcomes seen in immigrant minorities with musculoskeletal disease. Key Points • Immigrant patients with rheumatologic disease in the US had higher rates of severe psychological distress yet were less likely to receive MHS compared to US-born patients between 2009 and 2018 • Immigrants with rheumatologic illness were less likely to receive MHS if they were Black, Hispanic, Asian, older, lower income, or uninsured • Future efforts to carefully screen for mental health diseases in these vulnerable patient populations should be made while exploring patient-specific cultural considerations of MHS receipt.