Mental Illness In African American

Mental Health Care Disparities in Minority Populations Erin Bertelson Denver School of Nursing Mental Health Care Disparities in Minority Populations Across the country, a steady increase has been noted in the number of patients presenting to emergency departments for psychiatric complaints (Zun, 2014). Patients also attempt to use their primary care doctors to treat their mental illnesses. The mental health care options for these patients are extremely limited, especially for minority populations such as African Americans and Hispanics. One out of four adults in America suffers from some form of mental illness, yet only one out of three of those affected receives treatment (Safran, 2009). Furthermore, patients are routinely misdiagnosed, receive poor quality of care, receive care from providers who have no understanding of their cultures and values, or are not even able to receive care in the first place (Sanchez, 2012).

Conversations regarding mental health can often be a difficult topic to discuss openly. The Huffington Post provided readers with the opportunity to understand mental illness and intersectionality in the article, 4 Black Women Writers Get Honest About Mental Illness and Race. This article provides a different perspective on mental health as it looks at mental illness through the intersectionality of race and gender. In the article, four black women participate in an interview to discuss their experience with depression, bi-polar disorder, and ADHD and how it affects their lives as both black and woman identified beings. Discussions of mental health in the black community are rare as there is a negative view of mental illness. Hearing

A survey was conducted by Sherrill L. Sellers (Miami University of Ohio), Harold W. Neighbors, (University of Michigan), and Vence L. Bonham (Michigan State University) in order to address the interaction between goal-oriented stress and overall well being in 399 college-educated African American associated with a historically black national fraternal

Health care for mental illness is an issue in the African American community for Men, Women and Adolescents due to the underserving and lack of mental healthcare providers, the cultural stigma of having mental illness and

Overcoming Racism and Barriers to Counseling African Americans Racism against African Americans and other ethnicities is still prevalent in our society. Salis (2015) mentions a recent poll of Caucasian and African Americans and found that sixty percent of those surveyed felt racial relationships ha vent improved and forty percent felt they were worse. In this paper, I will identify how a counselor can reduce the effects of racism and discrimination that has affected African Americans. Additionally, I will address what role a counselor plays in reducing the stigma of mental illness within the African American community. Furthermore, I will highlight the legal and ethical issues identified in the video

Counseling African Americans A multicultural competent counselor refers to, someone who’s able to work efficiently with groups of students from culturally distinct groups (Thomas & Vines, 2008). Furthermore, culture competency plays a key role in how counselors diagnose and treat their patients from any background or culture. Surgeon General (2001) largely defines culture as a common heritage or set beliefs, norms and values. Culture can be applied to all groups of people but unfortunately; there are major mental health disparities amongst minority individuals compared to white individuals. According to the Surgeon General (2001), ethnic minorities have less access to mental health services than their white counterparts. Additionally, minorities

What is mental illness? It is a term that is used by professionals to diagnose an individual with a mental condition ranging from minor to severe. Having a mental illness delays a person ability to function properly. In some cases when an individual has a mental illness and commits a crime it could possibly clear them from criminal responsibility, but this is a rare occasion. It is important to note, “even a seriously disordered individual has some decision-making ability” (Bartol and Bartol, 2014, p. 212). Another vital factor to take into consideration is although “mental illness is still used in the psychological, psychiatric, and legal literature, as well as in both

Culture and Diversity Even though the client in the clinical case is not a minority, this article possess relevant information to patients that is pertinent to this special population. Katie like Kilbourne, Bauer, Pincus, Wiliford, Kirk & Beresford (2005) states is at an increased risk of unfavorable outcomes due to her diagnosis of Bipolar II. Patients with bipolar disorder are at a disadvantage because of their periods of mania, depression and psychotic episodes combined with their substance use and unstable living environments (Kilbourne, et al., 2005). Nevertheless, while all patients with bipolar disorder may be at risk for homeless, involuntarily committed and receive shorter treatment with their psychiatrist, the percentage for minorities increases dramatically (Kilbourne, et al., 2005). Trying to manage a disorder with recurrent and chronic mental illness is difficult for one to manage, but it also includes substantial morbidity, mortality, and health care costs, which may be an increased shortcoming for minorities who may not have adequate resources (Kilbourne, et al., 2005). Kilbourne, et al. (2005), agrees as they mention that the management of bipolar disorder appropriately heavily relies on accurate assessment and effective treatment. The minorities discussed in this article consisted of females, veterans, races (Black, Hispanic, Aain/Pacific Islander, American Indian, and other), seniors greater than 65 years old, and participants with an educational

Living with a mental illness can be hard, but it is even harder if there isn’t any access to the proper treatment needed in order to get better. It could result with the person committing a crime and ending up behind bars. The severity of a mental illness the may have ranges. Many people who suffer from one can be a danger to themselves or to those around them. It is up to a mental health professional or an officer to ensure that they receive the help that they need. In order to do so, they should place those with a mental illness in a mental health facility.

Ethnic Minority Groups and Mental Health Issues regarding mental health dramatically affect our society. Unfortunately, marginalized social groups often fall prey to a deficit in treatment options. Ethnic minority groups are dramatically distressed with various social and socioeconomic factors to increase the presence of mental illness. Minority adults are significantly less likely to seek mental health care than adults identifying as two or more races and Whites (Morris, 2015). Different theories touch on different perspective views of mental illness and minorities.

Oxford dictionary defines mental health as “a person’s condition with regard to their psychological and emotional well-being”, (Oxford Dictionary, 2015). In order for someone to have a good overall mental health, they need to have some sort of balance between mental, physical, social and emotional aspects of their lives. Historically, mental institutions used to be for “lunatics” who got cramped in cells while sleeping on straw in a dungeon, (Regehr & Glancy, 2014). Today, mental institutions are referred to as Psychiatric Hospitals and tend to have a more homey and modern comfortable feel to them. Mental illnesses can range from minor to severe. Illnesses that fall under the severe category include: anxiety disorders, dementias, eating disorders,

Mental illness according to Webster dictionary is “any of a broad range of medical conditions that are marked primarily by sufficient disorganization of personality, mind, or emotions to impair normal psychological functioning”. How do you diagnose mental illness? Well therein lies the problem. The line between mental illness and insanity

A mental illness is commonly known as any disorder that affects the mood, behavior, and overall mindset of an individual. Often, these effects can be almost invisible to the person, or they can take up the person’s whole life. Distractions, compulsions, fears, and whatever else keeps the individual’s mind racing can take up to a lifetime to cope with, and may not ever heal with treatment (as mental illness cannot be cured). Mental illness can also be a distortion to the mind, making the mind believe something, or someone that is not real is present to the person with the distortion. This leads to the other side of mental illness that entertainment portrays- yellow padded rooms, belted straitjackets and muzzles, and numerous amounts of screaming. Mental illnesses are not all like these portrayals, but there are indeed mental institutions in the United Stated and around the world that remain very active. Psychiatric hospitals are a brighter, more common term for these places. Their main purpose of them is to house people who have been diagnosed with mental illness and are not fit at that moment to be left by themselves or with others around them. They would stay there, see their own counselors, and receive plans based on their inpatient behavior. Usually, many are released after a month or two, and seldom stay forever. However, it is after their discharge when they are in trouble. They are back in the world, but there is one problem: everyone surrounding them in their lives

Case Study Mental Illness has a broad spectrum in the definition of mental illness; any of various psychiatric conditions, usually characterized by impairment of an individual’s normal cognitive, emotional, or behavioral functioning, and caused by physiological or psychosocial factors. Also called mental disease, mental disorder. The broad definition also includes that a mental illness is dependent upon a society’s norm and whether corresponding behaviors go against these norms and whether corresponding behaviors considered ad either deviance or even as a mental illness. Mental illness is a disease in the mind and should be consider and treated as such. In the same manner that a physical illness it treated.

How to recognise mental illness Someone suffering from a mental illness may be mildly inconvenienced by their symptoms in their daily lives and yet others can be severely debilitated to the extent that they are unable to care for themselves or integrate into society at any level.