• Tetine Sentell, Martha Shumway, and Lonnie Snowden.
• Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Francisco, 2727 Mariposa Street, Suite 100, San Francisco, CA 94110, USA. tetines@yahoo.com
• J Gen Intern Med. 2007 Nov 1; 22 Suppl 2 (Suppl 2): 289293289-93.

BackgroundLimited English proficiency (LEP) may contribute to mental health care disparities, yet empirical data are limited.ObjectiveTo quantify the language barriers to mental health care by race/ethnicity using a direct measure of LEP is the objective of the study.DesignCross-sectional analysis of the 2001 California Health Interview Survey is the study's design.ParticipantsAdults aged 18 to 64 who provided language data (n = 41,984) were the participants of the study.MeasurementParticipants were categorized into three groups by self-reported English proficiency and language spoken at home: (1) English-speaking only, (2) Bilingual, and (3) Non-English speaking. Mental health treatment was measured by self-reported use of mental health services by those reporting a mental health need.ResultsNon-English speaking individuals had lower odds of receiving needed services (OR: 0.28; 95% CI: 0.17-0.48) than those who only spoke English, when other factors were controlled. The relationship was even more dramatic within racial/ethnic groups: non-English speaking Asian/PIs (OR = 0.15; 95% CI: 0.30-0.81) and non-English speaking Latinos (OR: 0.19; 95% CI: 0.09-0.39) had significantly lower odds of receiving services compared to Asian/PIs and Latinos who spoke only English.ConclusionsLEP is associated with lower use of mental health care. Since LEP is concentrated among Asian/PIs and Latinos, it appears to contribute to racial/ethnic disparities in mental health care. Heightened attention to LEP is warranted in both mental health practice and policy.

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