Purpose: To determine the barriers to health care access by chronic disease and depression/anxiety diagnosis in Mexican Americans living in El Paso, TX.
Design: A secondary analysis was conducted using data for 1,002 Hispanics from El Paso, TX (2009-2010). Logistic regression was conducted for financial barriers by number of chronic conditions and depression/anxiety diagnosis. Interaction models were conducted between number of chronic conditions and depression or anxiety.
Results: Depressed/anxious individuals reported more financial barriers than those with chronic conditions alone. There were significant interactions between number of chronic conditions and depression/anxiety for cost, denied treatment because of an inability to pay, and an inability to pay $25 for health care.
Conclusion: Financial barriers should be considered to maintain optimal care for both mental and physical health in this population.
Implications for practice: There should be more focus on the impact of depression or anxiety as financial barriers to compliance.
Keywords: Mexican Americans; barriers; cardiovascular disease; diabetes; health care.