Latinos, the largest minority group in the United States, experience mental health disparities, which include decreased access to care, lower quality of care and diminished treatment engagement. The purpose of this cross-sectional study of 177 Latino immigrants in primary care is to identify demographic factors, attitudes and beliefs, such as stigma, perceived stress, and ethnic identity that are associated with depression, help-seeking and self-recognition of depression. Results indicated that 45 participants (25%) had depression by Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) criteria. Factors most likely to be associated with depression were: poverty; difficulty in functioning; greater somatic symptoms, perceived stress and stigma; number of chronic illnesses; and poor or fair self-rated mental health. Fifty-four people endorsed help-seeking. Factors associated with help-seeking were: female gender, difficulty in functioning, greater somatic symptoms, severity of depression, having someone else tell you that you have an emotional problem, and poor or fair self-rated mental health. Factors most likely to be associated with self-recognition were the same, but also included greater perceived stress. This manuscript contributes to the literature by examining attitudinal factors that may be associated with depression, help-seeking and self-recognition among subethnic groups of Latinos that are underrepresented in research studies. © 2015 by the authors; licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.

immigrants Help-seeking Self-recognition Depression Stigma Self-perceived need

depression immigrant Ecuador primary medical care mental health service poverty mental health human self assessment middle aged statistics and numerical data Stress, Psychological mental stress Aged social interaction Colombia Depressive Disorder Humans Mental Health Services chronic disease ethnology Dominican (Dominica) Hispanic Americans Dominican Republic Cross-Sectional Studies United States Young Adult income cross-sectional study migrant psychology Hispanic attitude social stress Adolescent male Emigrants and Immigrants female Aged, 80 and over New York very elderly Socioeconomic Factors socioeconomics clinical article self concept Social Stigma Patient Health Questionnaire 9 Latino people Article ethnic identity functional status help seeking behavior adult gender ethnic or racial aspects ethnicity Help-Seeking Behavior Colombian Ecuadorian primary health care