Asian American communities have important and unmet mental health needs, but there is comparatively little research data on process and outcomes that can guide evidence-based approaches to mental health care. This paper describes our experience of building research programs in a community-based health care facility, some of the challenges we faced, and barriers that were overcome. We have learned that a) mental health services research can be carried out in a community health center with minimal intrusion on usual patient flow; b) the effort must be shared between the health center and the community; c) barriers to participation in mental health research programs are multifactorial ranging from conceptual, cultural, and attitudinal biases to practical concerns inherent in the ethnic minority population; and d) resistance can be overcome by working with participants' cultural and social needs and using their explanatory belief models when developing and pursuing studies. © 2005 Springer Science + Business Media, Inc.

Asian Research Barrier Participation

Communication Barriers immigrant mental health service lowest income group motivation human Asia medical research ethnic group medical ethics priority journal research subject refusal to participate mental health care Clinical Trials Mental Disorders informed consent mental disease United States health program Humans Asian Americans Asian American Community Mental Health Services Article patient participation Patient Acceptance of Health Care Conflict (Psychology) health center health care facility medical staff attitude to health evidence based medicine health care need