Culturally-focused Consultation for Asian Americans and Latino Americans

This study's aim is to determine if a culturally focused mental health consultation will help Latino and Asian Americans who are experiencing sadness, stress, or other symptoms of depression. Eligible adults must already have a primary care physician at Massachusetts General Hospital.

In this study, patients will be randomly assigned, like the flip of a coin, to receive the culturally focused intervention or treatment as usual. Those who receive the intervention will have three sessions with study personnel, during which they will generally discuss and learn techniques for dealing with their mental health. Those who receive treatment as usual, meaning the regular care they receive through their primary care practice, will have two sessions with study personnel during which they will generally discuss their mental health. All study visits and patient materials are provided in patients' language of choice - English, Spanish, Mandarin, Cantonese, or Vietnamese. All patients will be compensated for completing study visits.

About half of the study patients in both arms will also be invited to participate in optional qualitative interviews, in which they will be asked questions about their expectations for the research study and their ideas for improving culturally sensitive mental health services. In addition, a small sample of Asian American patients who did not participate in the study but who have PCPs at the sites where the study was conducted will be contacted for a qualitative interview. This interview will address reasons why Asian American recruitment for the study was so challenging.

Inclusion criteria

• Capable of giving informed consent
• Adults 18 years of age or older
• Members of either Asian American or Latino American minority groups
• Currently experiencing depressive symptoms

Exclusion criteria

• Active unstable, untreated psychiatric illness precluding participation in study