 |
The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA |
|
The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA |
Peter Millet, PhD, Psychology Dept., Tennessee State University, 3500 John A. Merritt Blvd., Nashville, TN 37209, 615-963-5160, milletpeter@hotmail.com, Baqar, A Husaini, PhD, Center for Health Research, Tennessee State University, 3500 John A. Merritt Blvd, Nashville, TN 37209, Darren E. Sherkat, PhD, Department of Sociology, Southern Illinois University at Carbondale, 13 Hillcrest Drive, Carbondale, IL 62901, and Charles Holzer, PhD, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, 5.202 Rebecca Sealy, 301 University Boulevard, Galveston, TX 77555.
A review of the clinical literature suggests that African-Americans and members of other ethnic minority groups tend to have different patterns of utilization of mental health resources than White-Americans. Results suggest that this may be related to racial differences in the way individuals define and view the cause of mental health problems. Results indicated no racial differences in the reported health of participants nor in the strength of their religious beliefs. There were also no racial differences in amount of mental health treatment participants or their families had received in the past. For those who had received treatment, there were no racial differences in how helpful they felt the treatment was nor in how severe they felt a condition had to be before they went to seek treatment. Ironically there were racial differences when participants were asked about the mental condition of others. When describing others there was a clear effect of race of respondent. When talking about White persons with problems, White-Americans described the problems experienced as significantly more abnormal and severe than did African-Americans respondents. White-Americans suggested jail and medical treatment as treatment options for African-Americans at a significantly higher level than did African-American respondents. African-American respondents suggested self-help would be beneficial for African-Americans with problems at a significantly higher level than did White-American respondents. In sum, participants were likely to recommend some form of treatment or intervention for others experiencing mental health problems but not for themselves.
Learning Objectives:
Keywords: Minorities, Mental Illness
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.