U.S. Immigrants and Mental Health: An Investigation of the Influence of Mental Health Stigma and Discrimination on Stress and Depression and Affordances Associated with Using Online Mental Health Applications and Online Support Groups

Abstract

ABSTRACT Despite evidence that immigrants living in the United States experience significant threats to their mental health, they are less likely to seek and utilize mental health services than U.S.-born individuals. Online mental health resources may be an alternative to traditional mental health care for this population, but less is known about factors that influence immigrant mental health problems or how online technology affordances influence online mental health/therapy applications and online support communities with this population. Drawing upon minority stress theory and an affordance of health communication technology framework, the current study surveyed U.S. immigrants regarding the impact of mental health stigma and discrimination on stress and depression as well as predictors of immigrant use of online mental health/therapy applications and online mental health support communities. The study findings revealed that when controlling for number of years living in the United States, increased perceived mental health stigma was positively associated with greater perceived stress and depression. However, perceived discrimination did not predict stress or depression. Moreover, that higher perceived mental health stigma was a significant predictor of increased mental health mobile application use among immigrants, and greater weak-tie support preferences were predictive of increased online support community use. These findings are discussed alongside theoretical implications, practical considerations, limitations, and direction for future research.