Mental Health Treatment Provided Amongst Different Races


 Mental Health Treatment Provided Amongst Different Races

By: Nicole Harrison




 

 

    Mental health treatment is less accessible for black members of the 


community compared to white members of the community. This 


makes it less likely for people of color who are struggling with mental


 health issues to reach out for help or treatment. 










Why This Matters


    This issue is important because such a large portion of our population suffers from mental illnesses. A majority of that population are those of color. These people are not receiving enough or proper treatment for their mental illnesses. Changes need to be made in order to resolve this problem and to provide proper treatment to these patients. 



 





Stigma Towards Mental Health Treatment


Negative attitudes that are held towards mental health. Stigmas are more likely towards those of color with mental health illnesses (Crowe, 2020).  Men are viewed as “weak” if they seek treatment, women view treatment in a more positive way. Those who are more educated on the severity of mental health have less of a stigma towards it.








Treatment Providers


Mental health providers diagnose and provide treatment. Primary care physicians are more likely to recommend psychiatric care. Black patients in need of help were less likely to reach out to these providers (Henry, 2020). Treatment from these providers was less effective and accessible for patients who were not white. Survey concluded that race was a predictor of the access and care that was provided to patients (Meyer, 2013).








Discrimination In Treatment Facilities


    Patients reported staff members who were doubting their mental illnesses and not respecting their privacy. Some staff members assumed patients mental illnesses were because of their sexual orientation or color of their skin. Treatment providers could not provide proper help if they did not understand the severity of discrimination their patients were experiencing. Discrimination while patients are receiving treatment led to increased levels of depression and anxiety (Holley, 2016). 









What Can Be Done? 


The best way to help solve this issue is by raising awareness and knowledge about this topic. This can be done by educating yourself on the discrimination that surrounds mental health treatment. By gaining knowledge on this topic, you can begin to help educate others on the importance of this issue.












Works Cited


■“A Message for Anyone with a Treatment-Resistant Mental Illness.” NAMI, https://www.nami.org/Blogs/NAMI-Blog/April-2021/A-Message-for-Anyone-with-a-Treatment-Resistant-Mental-Illness.
■Crowe, Allison, and Taehee Kim. "Ethnicity, Life Satisfaction, Stress, Familiarity, and Stigma Toward Mental Health Treatment." Journal of Counseling and Development 98.1 (2020): 83-93. Web.
■Editor, Texas JSA Lonestar. “Causes of Mental Illness: The A to Zs.” Medium, The Lonestar, 3 Mar. 2020, https://medium.com/the-lonestar/causes-of-mental-illness-the-a-to-zs-4f2dbf424ba.
■Henry, Tracey L, Anuradha Jetty, Stephen Petterson, Helaina Jaffree, Allie Ramsay, Erica Heiman, and Andrew Bazemore. "Taking a Closer Look at Mental Health Treatment Differences: Effectiveness of Mental Health Treatment by Provider Type in Racial and Ethnic Minorities." Journal of Primary Care & Community Health 11 (2020): 2150132720966403. Web.
■Holley, Lynn C, Kyoko Y Tavassoli, and Layne K Stromwall. "Mental Illness Discrimination in Mental Health Treatment Programs: Intersections of Race, Ethnicity, and Sexual Orientation." Community Mental Health Journal 52.3 (2016): 311-22. Web.
■Medical ReviewerFarah Fazel, M.A. “What Is Depression? Causes, Symptoms, Treatments, and Getting Help.” What Is Depression? Causes, Symptoms, Treatments, and Getting Help, https://www.healthcentral.com/condition/depression. 
■Meyer, Oanh L, and Nolan Zane. "THE INFLUENCE OF RACE AND ETHNICITY IN CLIENTS' EXPERIENCES OF MENTAL HEALTH TREATMENT." Journal of Community Psychology 41.7 (2013): 884-901. Web.
■Sickel, Amy E, Jason D Seacat, and Nina A Nabors. "Mental Health Stigma: Impact on Mental Health Treatment Attitudes and Physical Health." Journal of Health Psychology 24.5 (2019): 586-99. Web.
■Thomas, Courtney Sinclair. More than Discrimination: The Significance of Race-Based Stress and Racial Identity for the Mental Health of Black Americans (2015). Web.


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