Treatment delay among Asian-American patients with severe mental illness.

Length of treatment delay and cultural-familial correlates were studied in a group of 62 Asian-American patients with severe mental illness, and 40 of their relatives. Contrary to prior findings of long treatment delay among Asian Americans, this cohort reported relatively low levels of stigma and shame and relatively short delay between onset of psychiatric symptoms and inception of treatment. Higher levels of shame and stigma felt by the relatives were associated with patients' longer treatment delay.