To better understand factors contributing to underutilization of mental health treatment services by Asian immigrants in English-speaking countries, the authors compared the pathways to treatment of 30 psychiatric patients born in Indochina who currently resided in Australia and 30 Australian-born patients. A semistructured interview was used to gather data on time between onset of psychiatric symptoms and treatment in the first and most recent illness episodes. Indochinese patients took longer to receive psychiatric treatment for their first episode and tended to receive initial help from family members or traditional healers. This effect had disappeared by the time of the patient's current episode. The results suggest the need for culturally relevant psychiatric services for recent immigrants.

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male ethnic group female major clinical study immigrant Chinese Australia schizophrenia affective neurosis mental health care Article community care health care utilization mental disease human adult