Psychological Distress Among Asian Indians and Non-Hispanic Whites in the United States

Introduction: The prevalence of psychological distress (PD) among Asian Indians is unknown. This study estimated and compared moderate-serious PD in Asian Indians and non-Hispanic Whites (NHWs) in the United States. Methods: We used a cross-sectional design using the National Health Interview Survey (2012-2017). Adult (age >18 years) NHWs and Asian Indians (N=2,218) were included. PD was measured using the six-item Kessler (K6) scale. We used multivariable logistic regression to determine the association of Asian Indian ethnicity with PD. Results: In the analysis, 19.9% of NHWs and 11.0% of Asian Indians reported moderate-serious PD. Asian Indians were less likely to report PD in both unadjusted (unadjusted odds ratio=0.50; 95% confidence interval [CI]=0.42-0.58) and fully adjusted (adjusted odds ratio=0.7; 95% CI 0.59-0.82) models. Conclusions: Asian Indians had a lower prevalence of PD than NHWs, likely due to multiple protective factors such as high socioeconomic status and lower multimorbidity.