Self-rated mental health among Asian American adults: Association with psychiatric disorders

The present study examined the association between self-rated mental health (SRMH) and diagnoses of psychiatric disorders among Asian American adults. Data were drawn from the National Latino and Asian American Survey (NLAAS, 2002-2003). Bivariate correlations and logistic regression analyses were conducted to compare the association in three subgroups of Asian Americans (i.e., Chinese, Filipinos, and Vietnamese). Results from logistic regression analyses show that after controlling for covariates, SRMH was significantly associated with diagnoses for any 12-month DSM-IV psychiatric disorders only among Filipinos (AOR: 2.06; 95% CI: 1.29-3.32). In the Vietnamese and Chinese samples, however, SRMH was not significantly associated with having any psychiatric disorders. The findings highlight the heterogeneity of Asian Americans' mental health status, and suggest the need for developing ethnic-specific strategies to screen mental disorders for different subgroups of Asian Americans.