Mental Health, Religion and Culture
Volume 14, Issue 6, 2011, Pages 589-611

Correlates of religious, supernatural and psychosocial causal beliefs about depression among latino immigrants in primary care (Article)

Caplan S.* , Paris M. , Whittemore R. , Desai M. , Dixon J. , Alvidrez J. , Escobar J. , Scahill L.
  • a Nursing and Health Professions, University of Southern Maine, PO Box 9300, Portland, 04064, United States
  • b Department of Psychiatry, CMHC-The Hispanic Clinic, Yale University, 34 Park St., New Haven, 06519, United States
  • c Department of Nursing, Yale School of Nursing, Yale University, 100 Church Street South, New Haven, 06536, United States
  • d Division of Chronic Disease Epidemiology, Yale School of Public Health, Yale University, 60 College Street, New Haven, 06520, United States
  • e Department of Nursing, Yale School of Nursing, Yale University, 100 Church Street South, New Haven, 06536, United States
  • f Department of Psychiatry, University of California, 7M-TRCR, SFGH, Box 0852, San Francisco, 94143, United States
  • g Department of Psychiatry, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (UMDNJ), Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Clinical Academic Building, 125 Paterson Street, New Brunswick, 08901, United States
  • h Department of Psychiatry/Nursing, Yale Child Study Center, Yale University, 230 South Frontage Road, P.O. Box 207900, New Haven, 06520, United States

Abstract

The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to explore causal attributions about depression and to identify psychosocial factors associated with these beliefs among Latino immigrants. We interviewed 177 primary care patients with instruments to assess causal beliefs, depressive and somatic symptoms, ethnic identity and stigma. An exploratory factor analysis of the Causal Beliefs scale yielded three factors, "Balance," "Psychosocial" and "Malevolent Spirituality/ Transgressions" that were used as dependent variables in multivariate analyses. Depressive symptoms, age, country of origin and religiosity were significantly associated with particular factors of causal beliefs. Those with higher education were most likely to endorse psychosocial causal beliefs. Stigma pertained to causal beliefs related to "malevolent forces" and "personal transgressions." In conclusion, psychosocial and religious explanations of illness were strongly endorsed by these Latino immigrants, indicating a dual system of Western-medicine and traditional beliefs. These results suggest culturally-specific interventions for improving health knowledge and communication with patients about depression. © 2011 Taylor & Francis.

Author Keywords

Primary care immigrants Depression Stigma Hispanics/Latinos Health beliefs Causal attributions

Index Keywords

[No Keywords available]
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-78650617563&doi=10.1080%2f13674676.2010.497810&partnerID=40&md5=1297764fc731f2e31f930b4a9aa6e6f5
DOI: 10.1080/13674676.2010.497810
ISSN: 13674676
Cited by: 15
Original Language: English