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Among minority groups are immigrant populations from various backgrounds. The immigrant narrative is complex, and there is a need for quality mental health care. There is also the issue of addressing their willingness to access treatment when needed. Gaining access to mental health services can be difficult, and for minorities, that access can be even more challenging.

A 2019 study reported that minorities experience a higher burden of mental illness but have less access to, and lower quality, treatments. While acceptance of mental health needs is becoming more commonplace, challenges remain among minority groups.

Compared to white people, minorities have less access to resources because of their background and identity. They also generally receive a delayed diagnosis and inadequate treatment, and this concern is likely a result of the following factors: awareness, deterioration of trust, cultural beliefs, lack of access, and stigma.

For Alejandro Perez, a Dominican immigrant in New Jersey, therapy seemed strange and complicated.

“Why would I talk to a stranger about my problems? They don’t know about my life. How will they understand what I’m truly going through?” he said.

According to studies, most patients are open to receiving advice on behavior change from their general practitioner — someone they usually see, trust and are comfortable with. That is especially true if the advice is personally tailored and relevant to their illness. That’s why providers need to understand mental health and its nuances, as it can help reduce negative bias and feelings of shame.

Among minority groups, these experiences are significantly pronounced and can affect access to mental health services like therapy and medication. But ultimately, comfort, trust and a good rapport are essential for how advice and help are given and received.

Read more at NextAvenue.org.

Research will be conducted on the epidemiology and prevalence of mental illness in Samoa says the head of the Mental Health Unit at the Moto’otua Tupua Meaole’s Hospital, Seiulialii Dr George Tuitama.

Seiulialii said the research will also be able to paint a picture on how data on the state of mental health in the country will be able to combat the prevalence of violence in the community and provide remedies for school brawls as well.

“Yes of course it is important to teach and talk about mental health, mainly self-control, anger management and identifying contributing factors, like existing mental problems, stressful lives at home and in communities,” Seiuliali’i said.

As an advocate for mental health awareness, Seiulialii said that it was important to work together with other institutions with similar portfolios.

“I am working with organizations like the Salvation Army too. They can deal with some of the patients that I receive, as they have a pretty organised structure of mental practitioners,” he said.

In an earlier interview with Seiulialii he made reference to young boys and girls not being able to express themselves freely. He said much of this had to do with culture.

He said there was a very important need to provide an avenue for young people to express themselves and share their thoughts. He said this was a good practice and would help in dealing with the mental health of the young and keep them away from substance abuse and suicide.

Read more at SamoaObserver.ws.

Approximately 13.4% of the United States population identifies as Black or African American. Out of those individuals, more than 16% of individuals struggle with mental health complications, which is roughly seven million people. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, around 57.8 million adults over 18 in the U.S. reported symptoms of mental illness in 2021. This means around 12% of mental health complications come from the Black community.

Despite the high number of mental health complications in the community, mental health awareness is lacking due to stigmas, health disparities, and inadequate resources. Mental health in the Black community can often be challenging to address, as there are continuous negative stigmas about receiving help, according to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America.

On top of stigma, access to proper healthcare is often unavailable to the Black community. Their problems and stress are frequently disregarded, leading to insufficient help and attentiveness. When an individual struggling with mental health issues is rejected or told that they’re merely weak, symptoms such as depression and anxiety can worsen.

There are more than 198,811 therapists and 81,000 psychologists across the U.S. Out of those numbers, only 4.13% of Black therapists are practicing, with 76.4% being white. The number of Black therapists has increased from 3.85% to 4.13% over the past decade, but it is still far from where it should be.

Read more at HealthNews.com.

New research published in the journal Cultural Diversity and Ethnic Minority Psychology has exposed the troubling connection between the underutilization of mental health services among American Indians and Alaska Native (AIAN) populations and experiences of racism in the healthcare system.

The study, conducted by researchers Tracy J. Stewart and Vivian M. Gonzalez, has identified historical trauma and racial discrimination as critical factors contributing to this concerning phenomenon fueled by historical trauma. The AIAN population experiences higher rates of social injustices and adverse mental health outcomes than other ethnic groups in the United States. Despite the urgent need for mental health care, members of this community often avoid seeking professional help.

According to Stewart and Gonzalez, a deep-rooted distrust of the healthcare system (HCS) lies at the heart of this issue. In addition, the authors argue that the violent colonization, forced removal from ancestral lands, broken treaties, and forced assimilation through tactics such as boarding schools and adopting out Native children to non-AIAN families contribute to this lingering mistrust.

The researchers hypothesized that higher levels of perceived historical trauma or racial discrimination would lead to a lower inclination to seek mental health care among the Native population. They also proposed that this relationship is mediated by distrust of healthcare systems.

Indeed, frequent thoughts of historical loss were indirectly associated with lower help-seeking behavior through its relationship with HLAS and distrust towards HCS. Individuals who had more thoughts of historical loss were likely to have more distress related to such thoughts and were likely to have a higher suspicion of healthcare systems. Ultimately, such high distrust of health systems was associated with lower help-seeking behavior.

A similar relationship was found between perceived racism and mental health help-seeking behaviors.

Read more at MadinAmerica.com.

The mental healthcare system in the United States has failed Black people and people of color. It’s failing everyone who lacks privilege, and it’s failing those who don’t know to seek help for their mental health challenges.

The current system provides access to people of a certain socio-economic background – well to-do, employed and fully insured. This typically doesn’t include large populations of Black, Indigenous or people of color (BIPOC), though they experience mental health disorder rates similar to white people. Disparities that exist in services lead people of color to receive poorer quality of care and lack access to culturally competent care.

When you combine these decades-long systemic injustices, socioeconomic disparities, extremely limited access to affordable care, as well as communities that don’t have the resources to provide safe spaces, it’s not a hill to climb but a mountain. This doesn’t even consider finding a provider that looks like you, who can understand what you’re going through or where you’re coming from. These challenges make it next to impossible for someone to find affordable, accessible mental health care. That ‘impossible’ feeling leaves people less likely to seek treatment, less likely to find or access high quality care, and less likely to finish treatment. In fact, only one-in-three Black people who need mental health care receive it.

Before we fix these problems, we need to first acknowledge and address the issues that hold back BIPOC patients from seeking and receiving mental health care.

Read more at MedCityNews.com.

Belisa Urbina, the CEO of Ser Familia, a Georgia nonprofit that focuses on behavioral and mental health among Latinos, says her organization has big dreams for Latino youth but not having funding to support them is a huge issue.

“Latino kids in Georgia have more instances of severe depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation than almost any other child in the U.S.,” said Urbina.

According to the American Psychiatric Association, Hispanic/Latino youth report disproportionate rates of suicidal ideation and suicide attempts. In 2019, one in six Hispanic/Latino high school students had serious thoughts of suicide.

On Thursday’s edition of “Closer Look,” Urbina talked about the lack of Spanish-speaking mental health counselors, the many barriers that Latino youth face and what Ser Familia is doing to holistically support Latino youth in metro Atlanta.

Read more at WABE.org.