UCLA researchers determined that Latinos/Hispanics and African Americans are disproportionately affected by mental health issues and chronic disease, likely due to cumulative discrimination, trauma and community violence.

Two new studies published by the University of California-Los Angeles Center for Culture, Trauma and Mental Health Disparities revealed facts about chronic disease and mental health issues among multicultural populations. The findings were published in the journals Psychological Trauma and Psychological Assessment, respectively.

Researchers investigated the mental health measures and self-reported stress of 500 low-income African American and Hispanic/Latino, questioning them on childhood violence, discrimination, poverty and trauma. Conclusively, they were able to shed light on causes and disparities relating to chronic disease and mental health issues among multicultural populations.

"The costs to society of these life experiences are substantial," said Hector Myers, a former UCLA psychology professor and first author of the Psychological Trauma study, in a statement. "We know there is a poorer overall quality of life, a loss of productivity, greater social dependency, disability, health and mental health care costs, and early mortality as a result of repeated experiences of stress and trauma."

The study's authors established that five environmental factors predict PTSD, anxiety and depression among adults: history of abuse; experiences of discrimination due to racial, ethnic, gender or sexual orientation; history of violence in the family or from an intimate partner; chronic fear of being killed or seriously injured; and a history of violence in an individual's community.

With the use of structural equation modeling, the research team charted correlations between the accrued negative experience and the likeliness respondents would experience psychological issues later. In doing this, they learned that those who carry significant burdens over a lifetime are more likely to exhibit severe symptoms in regards to anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder.

With that said, psychological problems that derive from life events, trauma, and chronic life stress often go undetected and untreated. Also, only a fragment of those with psychological distress are diagnosed in healthcare settings, and far less individuals receive the necessary treatment. This is particularly true when it comes to those who've developed conditions that are rooted in a lifetime of experiencing discrimination. According to Gail Wyatt, a professor of psychiatry at the UCLA Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior and a senior author of both studies, most never learn how to cope with discrimination effectively. Consequently, many experience the long-lasting and life-threating effects of discrimination without assistance.

The second study, featured in Psychological Assessment, further explored the aforementioned five factors, and researchers developed a new screening tool to be applied to clinical settings, the UCLA Life Adversities Screener, or LADS. LADS is a questionnaire developed to help health care professionals more accurately treat trauma and stress among "ethnic and racial minority individuals in primary care settings who have a high trauma burden," said first author Honghu Liu, a professor in the UCLA School of Dentistry.

"Given the utility and ease of use, LADS could be effective as a screening tool to identify ethnic and racial minority individuals in primary care settings who have a high trauma burden, and who need more extensive evaluation," said Liu, an expert in the design of research studies, data analysis and statistical modeling. "We feel it will capture experiences that could be missed with current screening approaches. This could optimize affordable care as it strives to improve prevention of mental health problems."

The next step, according to researchers, is to offer individuals tools for improved coping strategies to counter trauma and adversities that African Americans and Latinos endure. Also, the advantage of affordable primary care is that it makes mental health care more accessible to those who don't have the skills to manage their mental health independently. According to Wyatt, the ACA has a unique opportunity to identify those who've yet to be assessed for trauma and adversity. Also, LADS could be a promising tool for that assessment.

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