Barriers to Mental Health Services for First-Generation Cambodian Americans

Date of Award

Summer 2026

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Healthcare Administration (DHA)

Committee Chair

#VALUE!

Committee Member

Tiffany Depriter

Committee Member

#REF!

Abstract

This qualitative study examined the factors that affect mental health service utilization of first-generation Cambodian Americans. This study aimed to identify ways to improve mental health services for Cambodian Americans in Central Ohio. Data collection involved interviewing first-generation Cambodians and explored whether healthcare coverage, access to care, and costs of care played a role in mental healthcare utilization.

This exploratory case study aimed to examine about the factors that affect mental health service utilization of first-generation Cambodian Americans. The data collection instrument used in this study was a semi-structured interview protocol consisting of 29 open-ended interview questions. The study used convenience and snowball sampling methods to recruit participants. The data collected involved interviewing 13 voluntary participants who met specific criteria as first-generation Cambodian Americans.

The findings highlighted four significant themes: Culturally Informed Understandings of Mental Health; Stigma, Avoidance, and Help-Seeking Resistance; and Reliance on Informal Coping Mechanisms and Structural and Linguistic Barriers to Accessing Mental Health Services.This study revealed that barriers to mental health service utilization among first-generation Cambodian Americans are multifaceted and deeply interconnected. Cultural understandings of mental health and stigma intersect with structural and financial barriers. These barriers collectively limited participants’ engagement with formal mental health services. Even when professional mental health services were available, cultural beliefs, stigma, language barriers, and system barriers reduced utilization.

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