Psychopathology,Treatment Outcome and Attitude Toward Mental Illness in Mexican American and European Patients

Abstract

Lower socio-economic European American and Mexican American psychiatric in- patients were compared on degree of psychopathology, response to treatment and attitude toward mental illness and hospitalization. The Mexican American patients were proportionately under-represented, but did not differ from the European Americans in degree of psychopathology at admission nor in response to treatment — both groups showing a high degree of improvement by both MMPI and clinical judgement. However, the Mexican American patients did have a significantly more negative view of hospitalization and treatment, viewing it as controlling and restrictive which may account for their lower proportion in the patient population.