Cultural Issues, Myths, Misinformation, and Health Care-Seeking Behaviors of Hispanic Patients With ADHD and Their Families

The Hispanic population in the United States is a growing minority group that faces many barriers to seeking and receiving treatment for mental health conditions such as ADHD. Poor economic status and lack of health insurance limit access to quality care, while language and cultural barriers keep some Hispanic patients from seeking treatment. Attitudes such as self-reliance and mental illness stigma, as well as misinformation about mental health conditions and treatment, may also hinder Hispanics from seeking care for ADHD. Clinicians can take steps to correct the misinformation and improve mental health care seeking behaviors of Hispanic people and learn to understand Hispanic traditions and beliefs as they relate to receiving health care.

From the Department of Psychiatry and Pediatrics and the Adult Developmental Disorders Section, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia.