Jewelll, N., & Russell, K. (1992). Current health status of african americans. Journal of community health nursing, 9(3), 161-169.
Mental healthcare has a long and murky past in the United States. In the early 1900s, patients could live in institutions for many years. The treatments and conditions were, at times, inhumane. Legislation in the 1980s and 1990s created programs to protect this vulnerable population from abuse and discrimination. In the last 20 years, mental health advocacy groups and legislators have made gains in bringing attention to the disparity between physical and mental health programs. However, diagnosis and treatment of mental illnesses continues to be less than optimal. Mental health disparities continue to exist in all areas of the world.
“Mental illness refers to a wide range of mental health conditions — disorders that affect your mood, thinking and behavior” (Mayo Clinic). Mental disorders can happen many times through one’s life, but mental illness is classified as an ongoing problem with the symptoms that can affect the ability to perform normal day to day tasks (Mayo Clinic). Many people look at those afflicted with mental disorders as being crazy or clinically insane, while the reality is a problem many people live with on a daily basis with help from medications, psychologist visits, family, friends, help groups, and many other support systems. The lack of support available to mentally ill patients, the more that will refuse treatment and refuse to find help for their disorders. Many people who were born with mental disorders grow up knowing they have a problem, but people who develop them later in age don’t understand how to cope with it.
Whaley, A. L. (1997). Ethnic and racial differences in perceptions of dangerousness of persons with mental illness. Psychiatric Services, 48, 1328-1330.
The only instances that cause a debate on mental health is when an individual does something that is criminal or hard to comprehend. The media get experts to look in on the catastrophe, and explain why they did it. Mental Illness is a worldwide problem and is often considered a "Hidden epidemic" as it stretches to institutions like jail, schools, family, and the media. Most mentally ill people are afraid to seek treatment mostly due to the stigma, prejudice, and discrimination that are attached to the label. The Label that comes with being mentally ill often leads to depression. Mental illness is largely misunderstood in the United States and can be treated; the following paragraphs reveal treatment, as well as causes and effects of stigmas on society, poverty, Insurance, the educational system, and the media.
Racial Discrimination is a detrimental stressor among African Americans (Sellers et al., 2003). As a result, African Americans are more likely to be faced with poorer mental and physical health outcomes. There has been research conducted relating to African Americans’ experience with racial discrimination. Specifically African Americans exposed to racial discrimination are likely to experience multiple externalizing outcomes, including anger aggressive behavior and delinquency (e.g., Kang & Burton, 2014). Given these negative outcomes of racial discrimination, it is important to identify factors that are protective against racial discrimination. Racial identity is defined as the importance of race to African Americans as well as the meaning
Unlike cultural competence, Anti- racism and the Anti-oppression framework has a clear focus, to directly address oppressive practices, and privilege in large institutions. In the “ More than being against it: Anti– racism and Anti –oppression in mental health services “ the authors Simon Corneau and Vicky Stergiopouls, identify seven strategies of the anti-racism and anti-oppression that should be employed when practicing direct service with clients. These seven strategies are "empowerment, education, alliance building, language, alternative, healing strategies, advocacy, social justice/activism, and fostering reflexivity” (Corneau & Stergiopoulos, 2012). The goal of using these seven strategies with clients is to engage the client in the process of care by recognizing the strengths and knowledge that the client brings to the relationship and honoring the idea that there is a racial feature of oppression that is inherent in the dynamics of the client clinician relationships. For example, the use of this practice in my current job with the Family Drug Courts could have a profound effect on the outcomes for both parents and children involved in the program. One example is the case of a 28-year-old mother of three that was separated from her children because of her drug addiction. This parent had an extensive history of trauma,
Culture, religion, and vulnerable populations with various beliefs are what make this nation a diverse country. These different groups affect the various populations in which health care occasionally or routinely come across. Awareness, respect, and consideration are substantial factors that play a significant role in the overall treatment and care for patients of diverse groups. Vulnerable populations encompass a wide variety of people whom are often seen and treated in health care facilities. One major vulnerable population are those with mental illness.
"African American Communities and Mental Health." Mental Health America. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 May 2014. .
Mental health care disparities can be rooted in inequalities in access to good providers, differences in insurance coverage, or discrimination by health professionals in the clinical encounter (McGuire & Miranda, 2008). Surely, those who are affected by these disparities are minorities Blacks and Latinos compare to Whites. Due to higher rates of poverty and poor health among United States minorities compared with whites. Moreover, the fact that poverty and poor health are
Cook, D. & Helms, J. (1999). Using race and culture in counseling and psychotherapy. Needham Heights, Massachusetts: A Viacom Company.
Without explicitly stating this, it would be exceptionally easy for the community to overlook the importance of multicultural inclusion in mental health care. Minorities are not part of the elite system that holds the stigma to its current influential standard, but in a largely white community with all white therapists, it could still feel uncomfortable to reach out for help. Integrated into the intervention to eliminate the stigma around mental health in the community should be a lesson that mental illnesses can happen to everyone regardless of race (I am sure we have all heard the myth that eating disorders are unique to white girls), and on the reverse side, reminding the more close-minded citizens of the community that their perceived status is not lowered just because they are getting treatment for the same thing a person of color or lower socioeconomic status is. The best way to get this community to believe you is by letting them experience it themselves, which circles us back around to beginning with using advocacy as an eliminator of the stigma surrounding mental health care. Making people comfortable enough to try something for themselves will change their perceptions and fuel the community organizing intervention even
People with serious socio-emotional and emotional disturbances are challenged in many aspects of life. Historically people of color with serious mental health related issues had little assistance and chances to having their needs met equally to Whites. In order to properly or adequately address the emotional and mental wellbeing of everyone on an equal basis, the stigma association must be removed from people of color.
Parents were asked whether or not they have been personally afflicted by racism and whether or not people they know have been afflicted by racism (O’Brien Caughy, O'Campo, & Muntaner, 2004). It was found that “parents who denied experiencing racism had the highest behavioral problems among their children” (O’Brien Caughy, O'Campo, & Muntaner, 2004). The parents who denied having been personally discriminated against were more apt to have children who suffered from anxiety and depression in this study (O’Brien Caughy, O'Campo, & Muntaner, 2004). Those who confronted their own personal experiences with racism were less likely to have children who suffered from mental
Fischer, A. R., & Shaw, C. (1999). African americans mental health and perceptions of racist discrimination: The moderating effects of racial socialization experiences and self-esteem. Journal of Counseling Psychology,46(3), 395-407. Retrieved from psycnet.apa.org/journals/cou/46/3/395.html