Treatment FAQ

how diversity affects mental health and mental health treatment

by Eunice Hansen Published 3 years ago Updated 2 years ago
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According to research published by The Commonwealth Fund, minorities in the United States are less likely to get mental health treatment or will wait until symptoms are severe before looking. In fact, only 66 percent of minority adults have a regular health care provider compared to 80 percent of white adults.Jul 11, 2019

How does cultural diversity affect mental health?

Conclusions. Cultural differences clearly impact on different aspects of mental health including perceptions of health and illness, coping styles, treatment-seeking patterns, impacts of history, racism, bias and stereotyping, gender and family and stigma and discrimination.Dec 3, 2015

How does diversity relate to mental health?

Employees from diverse backgrounds can face lack of representation, microaggressions, unconscious bias and other stressors that impact their mental health and psychological safety at work.Aug 27, 2021

Why is mental health diversity important?

Cultural diversity across the world has significant impacts on the many aspects of mental health, ranging from the ways in which health and illness are perceived, health seeking behavior, attitudes of the consumer as well as the practitioners and mental health systems.Jun 19, 2018

Does culture affect the effectiveness of mental health care?

Furthermore, research has shown that the mental health experience of minorities has been greatly affected by culture and how society at large views that culture. Racial and ethnic minorities in the U.S. are less likely than white people to seek mental health treatment, or to delay treatment until symptoms are severe.Apr 16, 2017

How does mental health affect minorities?

Racial/ethnic, gender, and sexual minorities often suffer from poor mental health outcomes due to multiple factors including inaccessibility of high quality mental health care services, cultural stigma surrounding mental health care, discrimination, and overall lack of awareness about mental health.

What sociocultural factors influence mental health?

Summary. Most aspects of mental illness and psychological well-being are influenced by social factors (such as gender, social class, race and ethnicity, and household patterns) and social institutions (such as disability and social security systems, labor markets, and health care organizations).Apr 15, 2002

What is the relationship between mental health and diversity equity and inclusion?

Mental health is an immutable

“Mental health and diversity and inclusion (D&I) are closely connected,” says a Forbes article. “Employees from diverse backgrounds can face lack of representation, microaggressions, unconscious bias, and other stressors that impact their mental health and psychological safety at work.”
Jan 5, 2021

What is culturally competent mental health care?

Simply put, a culturally competent mental health care provider is able to consider how someone's culture, race, and ethnicity may influence their mental health, and the best way to treat them.Feb 8, 2022

How can cultural diversity impact health and wellbeing?

When children and young people grow up to understand, appreciate and respect the cultural, racial and ethnic diversity around them, we gain a positive and accepting community, which benefits everyone. This benefits individuals because when people feel accepted, respected and included, they have better mental health.

How does cultural stigma affect mental health?

Studies show that Latinx (a gender neutral reference to a person of Latin American cultural or ethnic identity in the U.S.) families are also less likely to trust mental health providers compared to White families and are more likely to rely on social support from extended family and other community members.Aug 4, 2020

How do social and cultural attitudes affect mental health?

The experience and manifestation of mental illness are influenced by an individual's social and cultural background. It can determine how individuals communicate their symptoms, influence their understanding of their illness, and determine the coping strategies they adopt and the type of interventions they seek.Oct 10, 2020

How have social and cultural attitudes towards mental health changed over time?

One major change has been the shift in society's attitudes. People are becoming more accepting of mental health problems and more supportive of people with issues. They are more aware of common mental disorders such as depression and anxiety, and are more willing to talk to health professionals and seek treatment.Jul 10, 2018

What is culturally informed care?

When a mental health professional is needed, it is important to find someone who understands that culture can affect your child’s behavior, development, diagnosis, and treatment. This is called culturally informed or culturally competent care. Other phrases that can be used to describe cultural competency are 'cultural sensitivity' ...

Why is cultural competency important?

Cultural competency is important for considering the following areas of family life: Behaviors that are common and “normal” in one culture even when they are not in others. Ways to manage everyday problems that can occur between a child and parents or others. Religious beliefs, practices, and events. Family customs and traditions.

Can a child be an interpreter?

It is especially important not to have your child act as your interpreter. Regardless of what language you speak, a mental health professional with cultural sensitivity will better understand your family’s point of view and can also offer guidance that takes into account your family’s values and beliefs.

What is the 118?

No. 118; Updated January 2019. American families come from diverse cultural and ethnic backgrounds. Each person’s background affects the way he or she views the world and gets help for physical or mental health problems. Many parents get advice and support from family, friends, and faith leaders when their child is struggling.

Challenges

When putting together this Toolkit, some of the people involved talked about challenges they have faced when working with different communities or groups and with people who have multiple needs. Often, staff are afraid of 'getting it wrong' or simply not knowing how best to approach people and situations.

Tool

You can use this tool to help you to think about which audiences and particular groups you would like to take part in your work, the methods you need to use and who can help you do this.

Diversity and difference checklist

Accessible reading formats#N#Are your written materials available in a range of different formats? Think about easy read, large print, braille. You don't have to make all your materials available in all different formats, but you should have a process in place to ensure you can provide them within reasonable time should anyone ask for them.

What is mental health disparity?

Mental health care disparities , defined as unfair differences in access to or quality of care according to race and ethnicity, are quite common in mental health.1Although some studies question this consensus, 2, 3the weight of the evidence supports the existence of serious and persistent mental health care disparities.

What is IOM in healthcare?

The IOM definition is distinct from that applied by the Agency for Healthcare Quality and Research (AHRQ) in its annual National Healthcare Disparities Reports, where anydifference between populations is a disparity, with no adjustment for underlying need for care.

How do cultures differ in mental health?

Furthermore, cultures differ in the meaning and level of significance and concern they give to mental illness. Every culture has its own way of making sense of the highly subjective experience that is an understanding of one’s mental health. Each has its opinion on whether mental illness is real or imagined, an illness of the mind or ...

What are the factors that affect mental health?

However, mental illnesses and mental health in general are affected by the combination of biological and genetic factors, psychology, and society. This intersectionality is important, but the heavy influence of societal factors often goes ignored.

Is mental health a personal matter?

To read part two, click here. People often think of mental health as a very personal matter that has to do only with the individual. However, mental illnesses and mental health in general are affected by the combination of biological and genetic factors, psychology, and society. This intersectionality is important, ...

How does culture affect people?

For instance, culture affects the way in which people describe their symptoms, such as whether they choose to describe emotional or physical symptoms. Essentially, it dictates whether people selectively present symptoms in a “culturally appropriate” way that won’t reflect badly on them.

What is the difference between equality and diversity?

Diversity in a broad sense is about the recognition and valuing of difference, whereas equality is essentially about creating a fairer society where everyone can participate and has the opportunity to fulfil their potential ( Milstead, 2003 ). Equality and diversity are not inter-changeable but are inter-dependent.

Do older people have mental health problems?

Most older people do not develop mental health problems, although a significant minority does. For example, about 25% of people of 85 have dementia, between 10% and 15% over 65 years have depression, and between 4% and 23% of older adults seen by medical staff have an alcohol problem.

Is homosexuality a mental disorder?

Traditionally, homosexuality has been seen as a type of mental disorder and was declassified as such in 1973 by the American Psychiatric Association and in 1992 by the World Health Organisation. Nevertheless, attitudes towards homosexuality are often negative, hostile and discriminatory.

Is learning disability genetic?

Namely, many learning disability syndromes of genetic origin are associated with psychiatric disorders, brain trauma often directly results in psychiatric problems, and people with learning disabilities are much more likely to encounter traumatic life events that make them more vulnerable to mental health problems.

What is the highest attainable standard of health?

The World Health Organisation's Constitution states that the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health is one of the fundamental rights of every human being without distinction of race, religion, political belief, economic or social condition ( WHO, 1948 ). Nearly 60 years after this Constitution was adopted there is considerable evidence to suggest that inequalities in health remain in terms of access to care, treatment and outcomes. Increasingly the changing demographics and economies of a growing multicultural world, and the long-standing disparities in the health status of people from culturally diverse backgrounds has challenged health care providers and organisations to consider diversity issues as a priority ( Campinha-Bacote, 2003; Cook, 2003 ).

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Diversity vs. Inclusion

Diversity, Exclusion and Being ‘different’: The Challenges

  • Sadly, for the majority of us, recalling a time when we’ve felt excluded is probably not too difficult. Whether it was not being invited to a birthday party when you were six years old or seeing pics on Instagram or Facebook and realising you were left out of a social occasion, it can have an instant and resounding effect. Humans are social creatures, and being ignored or excluded threatens so…
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Benefits of Diversity – For The Worker and The Workplace

  • The advantages that come from a diverse and inclusive organization aren’t just limited to the employee, they apply to the organization as well. According to Katie, three of the key business benefits are improved decision making, increased creativity and engagement.
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How to Foster Good Mental Health Through Inclusivity

  • There are four key ingredients for good mental health of diverse employees (and for that matter, all employees) in the workplace. These are: 1. Inclusion, belonging and an environment of psychological safety 2. Productive conversations 3. Genuine care shown by leaders and lead from the top 4. Support But ingredients aren’t much good without a recip...
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Final Word – D&I Is About Everyone!

  • Lastly, Teagan urges companies not to leave the majority out of D&I conversations. “Absolutely, we need to focus on the minority groups to increase their representation and ensure barriers are removed, but we also need to ensure the majority groups are included in the conversations.” “This doesn’t mean we should shy away from making bold decisions, actions and changes to improve …
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