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Mental health help-seeking in New York City: How intersecting identities shape informal and formal support use

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  • Thinh Toan Vu
  • Jo-Anne Caton
  • Christina Norman

Abstract

Introduction: This study investigated how intersecting identities, including race and ethnicity, gender, socioeconomic status, and immigration-related characteristics, impact help-seeking for emotions, nerves, or mental health among New York City (NYC) adults. It also identified primary sources of informal and formal support. Methods: Using a citywide representative sample of 43,606 non-institutionalized adults, data were collected between May and September 2023. Log-linear regression models assessed main effects and conditional effects (i.e., interactions) of sociodemographic and immigration-related characteristics on mental health help-seeking in the past 12 months. Predicted probabilities from models with significant interaction terms illustrated intersectional impacts. Sensitivity analyses among participants with past 30-day moderate-to-high psychological distress tested robustness of these findings. Results: Approximately 46.6% of adults sought any mental health support, with 36.2% seeking informal support and 24.2% seeking formal support. Family/friend (33.1%) and therapist/counselor (16.8%) were the most common informal and formal sources, respectively. Significant interactions for any help-seeking emerged between race and ethnicity with gender (p = 0.003), employment status (p

Suggested Citation

  • Thinh Toan Vu & Jo-Anne Caton & Christina Norman, 2026. "Mental health help-seeking in New York City: How intersecting identities shape informal and formal support use," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 21(8), pages 1-20, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:plo:pone00:0356292
    DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0356292
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