Clinical Interventions in Aging Open Access Full Text Article Dovepress open access to scientific and medical research O r I g I N A L r e s e A r C h Physician contact by older Asian Americans: the effects of perceived mental health need Duy Nguyen silver school of social Work, New York University, New York, NY, UsA Correspondence: Duy Nguyen silver school of social Work, New York University, 1 Washington square North, New York, NY 10003, UsA Tel +1 212 998 5991 Fax +1 212 995 4441 email duy.nguyen@nyu.edu submit your manuscript | www.dovepress.com Dovepress DOI: 10.2147/CIA.S14273 Objective: The use of physicians is more common than of behavioral specialists, especially in underserved Asian American communities. Despite a rapidly aging Asian American population, research has overlooked older people. This study examines the way mental health need affects the number of physician contacts by older Asian Americans. Method: This study uses data on self-identified Asian Americans aged over age 50 years derived from the 2001 California Health Interview Survey. A total of 1191 Asian Americans from Chinese, Filipino, Korean, and Vietnamese backgrounds were studied. Replicate weights were applied to account for the survey’s complex sampling methods. Linear regression was used to identify the number of physician contacts. Results: Overall, respondents had seen a doctor an average of five times in the previous 12 months; 7% perceived that they had a mental health need. Perceiving a mental health need was associated with a decreased number of physician contacts for Filipino and Korean Americans. Conclusion: This study revealed interethnic differences among older Asian Americans’ contact with physicians. As older Filipino and Korean Americans who perceive a mental health need have fewer contacts with their physician, correctly identifying mental health needs in the health care system for these groups is crucial. Health and mental health professionals can work toward reducing mental health disparities by accounting for older Asian Americans’ help-seeking patterns when designing evidence-based interventions. Keywords: minority groups, Asians, health service use The increased use of physicians by those with mental health needs has been well documented.1 The use of physicians is more common than of behavioral specialists,2 especially in underserved Asian American communities.3 Despite a rapidly aging population, health research has overlooked older Asian Americans.4 In an effort to contribute to the knowledge base on a rapidly growing, yet understudied group, this study examines the way mental health need affects the frequency of contacts with a physician by older Asian Americans. Prior research on services has focused on assessed need while overlooking the role of perceived mental health. Studies using the National Comorbidity Survey point to the role of perceived need in affecting mental health-related service studies.3,5 Research using Korean American elders describes the way perceived mental health need is shaped by cultural values,6 and this perception increases the number of physician contacts. While focusing on a single ethnic group, previous research overlooks the diversity among Asian Americans.7,8 This study extends the existing literature by using the behavioral model9 to test the joint effects of the perception of mental health need on physician use among older Asian Americans. It is hypothesized that the number of physician contacts Clinical Interventions in Aging 2010:5 333–336 © 2010 Nguyen, publisher and licensee Dove Medical Press Ltd.This is an Open Access article which permits unrestricted noncommercial use, provided the original work is properly cited. 333