How do attitudes toward mental health treatment vary by age, gender, and ethnicity/race in young adults?

This article investigates attitudes toward seeking mental health treatment in a national epidemiological sample. Young adults reported the most negative attitudes, as compared to older adults. Males reported more negative attitudes, as compared to females, a consistent finding in young adults. The gender difference was not consistent in Latinos and African Americans. Although African Americans reported more positive attitudes than Anglos, this effect was not observed in young adults. Latinos reported similar attitudes toward mental health treatment, as compared to Anglos, a consistent finding in young adults. Results show that attitudes toward mental health treatment in young adult males are the most negative of all groups. Latinos and African Americans do not necessarily demonstrate more negative attitudes toward mental health treatment than Anglos. Within-group differences in ethnic/racial minority groups may not be similar to differences seen in Anglo populations. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Comm Psychol 33: 611–629, 2005.