Online Poster Portal

Background:

Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities experience disproportionately low utilization of mental health services due to stigma, language barriers, and structural challenges. While community outreach is often proposed as a strategy to improve engagement, less is known about how the structure and delivery of outreach interventions influence participation. Mental health services are frequently perceived as an additional burden, particularly in populations already navigating multiple barriers to care.

Objectives:

To increase mental health awareness and engagement in AAPI communities through multilingual community outreach, and to explore how integrating mental health into general health screenings influences participant engagement.

Design:

We conducted a series of student-led, multilingual community health fairs in AAPI communities in Los Angeles in partnership with local organizations. In early implementation, mental health services were offered as a separate booth following physical health screenings. In subsequent iterations, mental health screenings and education were integrated into physical health stations. Activities included general health screenings, brief mental health screening tools, and linguistically concordant mental health education delivered through culturally tailored conversations and translated materials.

Impact/Effectiveness:

Initial health fairs with a separate mental health booth demonstrated limited engagement, with many participants declining screening or leaving after completing physical health services. Engagement with the separate mental health station was estimated to be low, at approximately 20-30% of participants. Following integration of mental health into physical screening workflows, engagement increased substantially, with an estimated 70-80% of participants engaging in mental health discussions during the same encounter. There was a noticeable rise in participants willing to discuss emotional concerns, accept educational materials, and consider mental health resources. Participants often described somatic symptoms of distress and expressed misconceptions about treatment, which were addressed through culturally informed dialogue.

Lessons Learned:

Mental health services framed as an “add-on” may contribute to disengagement, particularly in populations with existing stigma and structural barriers. Integration with physical health services in trusted community settings increases accessibility and normalizes mental health discussions. These findings suggest that co-location and integration of services may reduce perceived burden and facilitate initial engagement. Language concordance and culturally informed dialogue, as well as the perceived approachability of community volunteers, further enhanced engagement. Thus, community-based interactions may provide opportunities to address misconceptions and build trust.

Summary:

Integrating mental health services into existing community-based health programs may improve engagement in underserved AAPI populations by reducing stigma and perceived burden. Co-location with physical health services and culturally responsive outreach serve as effective entry points for mental health screenings and may facilitate subsequent connection to formal care. Future work should focus on systematically evaluating engagement outcomes and developing sustainable models for integrated, community-based mental health outreach.