Mental Health Service Utilization Among Noncitizens in the United States: Findings from the National Latino and Asian American Study

Since the Welfare Reform Act of 1996, citizenship status has become an important consideration in mental health service utilization due to the restrictions on federal healthcare benefits for noncitizens living in the U.S. Using a nationally representative sample of Latinos and Asians, we examined the extent to which U.S. citizenship status was related to rates of mental health service utilization. We also identified several predictors of mental health service utilization among noncitizens. Noncitizens were about 40% less likely than U.S.-born citizens to use any mental health services. Findings are discussed in the context of healthcare policy and recent healthcare reform.