Investigation of the Likelihood of Accessing Mental Health Treatment Between Immigrant and Nonimmigrant Adult Residents of the United States

Background In the United States, immigrants are at higher risk of experiencing mental health problems and are less likely to seek professional treatment than nonimmigrants. Objective To investigate the likelihood of immigrant and nonimmigrant adult residents of the United States to access professional mental health treatment. Methods We used a quantitative, survey study design to evaluate the attitudes, perceptions, and likelihood of US adults seeking mental health treatment. Participants were recruited through social media platforms and completed an anonymous 15-question online survey (11 multiple-choice and 4 open-ended questions). Results Overall, 1053 adults completed the survey: 742 (70%) immigrants and 308 (29%) nonimmigrants. Most immigrants (689, 93%) and over half (188, 61%) of nonimmigrants reported experiencing mental health problems in the past 12 months. More immigrants (612/738, 82%) than nonimmigrants (219/298, 74%) were very likely or somewhat likely to seek professional mental health treatment (χ ²  = 42.9, P  < .001). There was also a small association between immigrant status and likelihood of seeking professional mental health treatment ( φ  = 0.20, P  < .001). Conclusions Our findings suggested immigrants had more mental health problems than nonimmigrants and were more likely to seek mental health treatment. Future studies should investigate the impact immigration has on mental health perceptions, such as an individual’s age at immigration, and the likelihood of seeking mental health treatment.