Psychiatric Healthcare Experiences of South Asian Patients with Severe Mental Illness Diagnoses and Their Families in New York City: A Qualitative Study.
Farhan MohsinSai AravalaTasfia RahmanShahmir H AliM D TaherParoma MitraSupriya MisraPublished in: Community mental health journal (2024)
South Asians (SAs) underutilize mental health services compared to many racial and ethnic groups in the United States (US), yet there is limited research on the experiences of SAs living with severe mental illness (SMI). This study examined psychiatric healthcare experiences of SA patients with SMI diagnoses (e.g., severe depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia) in New York City. Data collection included semi-structured interviews with 36 participants (21 patients, 11 family members, 4 clinicians). Data was managed in NVivo. Two pairs of SA researchers conducted thematic analysis. Limited mental health knowledge led to delayed care for SAs due to a low perceived need for help. Ease of access, linguistic resources, patient-provider relationships, and family involvement influenced psychiatric healthcare experiences. Prescribed medications, self-motivation, communication, and religious practices were factors aiding symptom management and recovery. Findings highlight the need for improving psychiatric healthcare access and culturally-salient mental health education for SA communities.
Keyphrases
- mental health
- healthcare
- mental illness
- bipolar disorder
- end stage renal disease
- early onset
- primary care
- electronic health record
- newly diagnosed
- major depressive disorder
- chronic kidney disease
- depressive symptoms
- ejection fraction
- case report
- physical activity
- health information
- big data
- peritoneal dialysis
- prognostic factors
- drug induced
- social support
- sleep quality
- patient reported
- artificial intelligence
- machine learning
- social media