Breaking the Silence: Applying and Extending the Theory of Situational Support to Understand Mental Health Services Use Among Chinese Immigrants in the United States

Abstract

Statistics show that Chinese immigrants are less likely to use mental health services compared with other racial/ethnic groups. By conducting a nationwide survey (N = 421), this study applies the theory of situational support to examine how the 2 primary barriers to mental health service use (i.e., social stigma and normative beliefs) affect Chinese immigrants’ psychosocial responses toward the problem, which may ultimately lead to their behavioral reactions. Implications for theory and practice are discussed.