Socio-Demographic Profile of Asian Americans Treated for Schizophrenia in Community Mental Health Settings: Implications for Service Delivery

Introduction: Little is known about Asian Americans diagnosed with schizophrenia, a low-prevalence but serious psychiatric disorder. Much of what we know about this vulnerable population comes primarily from participants enrolled in clinical drug trials. Our understanding of a larger subset of Asian Americans with schizophrenia, namely those who are receiving services in community mental health settings, is poor. We lack a basic demographic characterization of this population. This gap in knowledge is concerning because increasing number of users of mental health services in the Asian American community are expected to be individuals with serious psychiatric disorders, yet little data exist to guide service delivery to this growing group. The aim of this study was to provide a portrait of an ethnically diverse sample of Asian Americans served in community mental health agencies in the Los Angeles County for a diagnosis of schizophrenia.

Methods: Data for this exploratory study came from cross-sectional interviews conducted with Asian Americans diagnosed with schizophrenia. Using purposive sampling method, participants were recruited from six community mental health agencies directly operated or contracted by the County. Data was collected via through in-person interviewing and participant completion of validated self-report inventories. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize participants’ demographic characteristics.

Results: The study sample was composed of 75 participants diagnosed with schizophrenia (68.0%) or schizoaffective disorder. Participants’ ages ranged from 19 to 66 years (M = 43.03; SD = 12.61). Males and females were of comparable distribution. The study sample was ethnically diverse, with more than three-fourths of participants identifying as East Asians. The reminders were Southeast Asians. The majority of study participants (70.67%) were foreign-born. Over three quarters of participants (79.45%) completed at least their high school education (includes equivalency); however, less than one-fifth of participants (15.07%) obtained a college degree. These compared with 87.10% and 51.50% of the Asian American population, respectively. The study sample also comprised mostly of participants who were unemployed–76.00%, compared with 35.00% of the Asian American population. The large majority of participants reported their English proficiency to be at least fair (88.00%), but less than half (44.00%) reported English to be their primary language. Among participants whose primary language was not English, more than half reported (57.14%) speaking English less than “good,” compared to less than one-third of the Asian American population (30.40%).

Conclusion: To the best of our knowledge, this study forms the largest and most diverse sample of Asian Americans with schizophrenia enrolled into a non-clinical trial study. The outlined demographic characteristics suggest that this sample is socially and economically more disadvantaged than the general Asian American population, as evidenced by their lower levels of educational attainment, participation in labor force, and English proficiency. Disadvantages stemming from their lower educational attainment appear to have their roots prior to the onset of the disorder. The availability of culturally relevant supported employment programs for Asian Americans with schizophrenia has the potential to increase this population’s participation in the labor force, thereby decreasing their risk of a life of socioeconomic disadvantages.