3 - (SYM 108) Rank Ordering Sociocultural Factors to Mental Health Service Use Among Latinx Community College Students: A Dominance Analysis

The rate of mental health concerns among U.S. college students has increased nearly 50% over the last decade (Lipson et al., 2019), with over half of students currently experiencing symptoms (Lipson et al., 2022). Extensive research has predominantly focused on 4-year university students while overlooking the mental health challenges of community college (CC) students, despite CC students endorsing higher rates of mental health concerns (Lipson et al., 2021), with 22% experiencing severe distress (Lipson et al., 2021). Latinx CC students, in particular, access mental health services at significantly lower rates than their non-Hispanic White peers and have the lowest rates among other racial/ethnic minorities.

Extant research has identified a multitude of factors that influence Latinxs' engagement in mental health services but have yet to consider which factors (i.e., barriers and facilitators) are the most influential. Guided by Andersen’s model of health service use (Andersen, 1965), dominance analyses were conducted to better understand the relative importance of predisposing, enabling, and need factors among Latinx CC students. The 2021-2022 Healthy Minds Study dataset was analyzed for the present study. Of the 95,860 college and university student responses, only a subsample of the 5,865 CC students who identified as Latino or Latina were included in the analyses. The sample was predominantly female (N = 4,570; 78%), and participants' ages ranged from 18 to 74 years old, with an average age of M = 25.70 (SD = 8.77). Two groups were analyzed for this study: Latino/os and Latina/as.

Dominance analysis results revealed perceived need as the most important factor for both gender groups of Latinx CC students. Enabling factors (i.e., mental health literacy, beliefs about treatment) and need factors (i.e., current mental health status, financial stress) were among the most salient factors for both gender groups. Surprisingly, perceived and personal stigma were among the lowest-ranked factors in service utilization. Results highlight the most important factors influencing Latinx CC students to use services. Accordingly, interventions aimed at improving mental health service use and retention may pay particular attention to these factors.