Psychological Distress Behavioral Patterns Among Latinos: We Don't See Ourselves as Worthless.

A cross-sectional study of 4921 Latinos from the National Health Interview Survey was conducted to examine behavioral patterns of psychological distress among Latinos. Latent class analysis was used to ascertain psychological distress behavioral profiles among Latinos. Analysis revealed four latent classes of distress, which included moderate psychological distress (13.6%); mild sadness, nervousness, and restlessness (13.0%); high psychological distress (2.8%); and no psychological distress (70.7%). Worthlessness, a widely-accepted dimension of distress, was not a significant behavioral trait. Results from the present study suggest that underlying cultural elements affect the subjective interpretations of symptoms reported by Latinos. These findings highlight distress profiles among Latinos and the possibility of overlooking behaviors that are uniquely indicative of distress, potentially leading to the underreporting of serious psychological distress in this population. Furthermore, these findings shed light on other paradoxical issues impacting the mental health of Latinos.

Remission of symptoms in community-based psychosocial rehabilitation services for individuals with schizophrenia.

OBJECTIVE: The aims of this study were to determine the prevalence of remission in individuals with schizophrenia at baseline and 6 months after admission to community-based psychosocial rehabilitation and whether baseline intrapersonal and environmental resources predicted remission at 6 months, controlling for relevant demographic and clinical variables. METHOD: The sample featured 187 individuals with schizophrenia spectrum disorder. To determine remission status, consensus-based criteria proposed by the Remission in Schizophrenia Working Group were adapted to identify predictors of remission outcomes, direct binary logistic regression analysis was performed. RESULTS: Findings indicated that 34.57% and 55.61% of the sample was in remission at baseline and 6 months, respectively. Remission at 6 months was predicted by shorter length of illness and being in remission at admission. CONCLUSIONS: Remission of schizophrenia is an achievable outcome in community psychosocial rehabilitation settings. Clinical characteristics exerted a significantly stronger influence on remission outcomes compared with psychosocial factors.

Correlates in the Endorsement of Psychotic Symptoms and Services Use: Findings from the Collaborative Psychiatric Epidemiology Surveys.

Endorsement of psychotic symptoms serves as an indicator of significant health issues and interpersonal distress. Seeking services is the ultimate recourse for many individuals, yet few studies have assessed the help-seeking process in a nationally representative sample. This study, guided by Lewis-Fernández et al.'s (J Nerv Ment Dis 197(5):337-347, 2009) analyses, examined the association of lifetime endorsement of psychotic symptoms with demographic, clinical and support system variables and types of services received. Based on nationally weighted epidemiological data, 11.6 % of adults reported one or more psychotic symptoms. Psychotic symptoms were associated with poor physical and mental health, specifically depressive, anxiety, and substance use disorders. Respondents were more likely to receive services from both informal and mental health providers and were more likely to be hospitalized than those not endorsing psychotic symptoms. Study findings inform community efforts to develop comprehensive services for individuals experiencing psychotic symptoms.