I just can't help but doubt this:
OBJECTIVE: Previous research on mental health disparities shows that persons from racial-ethnic minority groups have less access to mental health care, engage in less treatment, and receive poorer-quality treatment than non-Hispanic whites. Attitudes and beliefs about mental health treatment were examined to determine whether they contribute to these disparities.
METHODS: Data from the National Comorbidity Survey Replication (NCS-R) were analyzed to determine attitudes toward treatment-seeking behavior among people of non-Hispanic white, African-American, and Hispanic or Latino race-ethnicity. Additional sociodemographic variables were examined in relation to attitudes and beliefs toward treatment.
RESULTS: African-American race-ethnicity was a significant independent predictor of greater reported willingness to seek treatment and lesser reported embarrassment if others found out about being in treatment. These findings persisted when analyses adjusted for socioeconomic variables. Hispanic or Latino race-ethnicity also was associated with an increased likelihood of willingness to seek professional help and lesser embarrassment if others found out, but these differences did not persist after adjustment for the effects of socioeconomic variables.
CONCLUSIONS: Contrary to the initial hypothesis, African Americans and Hispanics or Latinos may have more positive attitudes toward mental health treatment seeking than non-Hispanic whites. To improve access to mental health services among racial-ethnic minority groups, it is crucial to better understand a broader array of individual-, provider-, and system-level factors that may create barriers to care.
Source
Do we have a very narrow view of what mental health? Or maybe I have a broad view of mental health? Do we think most of our behaviors are healthy people making bad decisions? Maybe everyone chooses unsafe sex, bad intimate partners and engage in overall destructive behavior because they want to, not because they are effects of poor mental health?
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4 comments:
I will agree that access to treatment is limited based on the lack of funding for facilities for poor communities. These are the same communities that suffer from crime based from mentally unstable people living with them. However accepting the fact that there is a problem and actively seeking treatment BEFORE an episode occurs is another matter. BTW yet another reason for healthcare reform.
"Contrary to the initial hypothesis, African Americans and Hispanics or Latinos may have more positive attitudes toward mental health treatment seeking than non-Hispanic whites."
I doubt this too.
I totally agree with you when you say: "I tend to believe that we don't acknowledge mental health and as a community think its a "white thing."
@Mike - available treatment and willingness to seek treatment are key. I hope this isn't forgotten during the healthcare debate.
@Monie - I have no proof but I just have a hard time believing this "study." Besides, I think numbers are always skewed because people don't want to see bigoted, sexist, or ignorant. So I think people lied.
And of course, people probably said they had no problem with someone seeking help but THEY don't need. And they don't know people who do.
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