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Type of Submission
Podium Presentation
Keywords
mental health, minority groups, stigma, oppression, barriers, African Americans, Asians, Hispanics, Native Americans
Proposal
Minority groups often suffer from negative mental health outcomes due to several factors, including stigma surrounding mental health care, and mental health issues are often ignored within minority groups as a result. Different barriers, such as cultural differences, beliefs, and access to resources, prevent many minorities from receiving adequate treatment. We will assess the stigma that comes with acknowledging mental health problems and seeking help for them. We will specifically focus on African Americans, Asians, Hispanics, and Native Americans as our minority groups and we will compare and contrast their views on mental health. Literature was reviewed on each population. To find the root of the stigma, we will evaluate the history of these minority groups, the oppression that each of the three populations have faced, and how mental health has been considered. Details of how Christian churches have responded, and the effect of these responses on each population will be discussed as well. In addition, the presentation will describe current evidence-based intervention options, and implications for social workers working with these racial or ethnic groups. This will supply us with a baseline of where these thoughts have stemmed from so that we can go further and see how the present population reacts to these preconceived stigmas. Once our information is gathered, we will use it to form helpful steps for these minority groups to take, to better view and care for mental health issues. Our goal is to educate and learn from these groups so that we can become competent social workers when working with clients from these backgrounds.
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.
Mental Health in Minority Groups
Minority groups often suffer from negative mental health outcomes due to several factors, including stigma surrounding mental health care, and mental health issues are often ignored within minority groups as a result. Different barriers, such as cultural differences, beliefs, and access to resources, prevent many minorities from receiving adequate treatment. We will assess the stigma that comes with acknowledging mental health problems and seeking help for them. We will specifically focus on African Americans, Asians, Hispanics, and Native Americans as our minority groups and we will compare and contrast their views on mental health. Literature was reviewed on each population. To find the root of the stigma, we will evaluate the history of these minority groups, the oppression that each of the three populations have faced, and how mental health has been considered. Details of how Christian churches have responded, and the effect of these responses on each population will be discussed as well. In addition, the presentation will describe current evidence-based intervention options, and implications for social workers working with these racial or ethnic groups. This will supply us with a baseline of where these thoughts have stemmed from so that we can go further and see how the present population reacts to these preconceived stigmas. Once our information is gathered, we will use it to form helpful steps for these minority groups to take, to better view and care for mental health issues. Our goal is to educate and learn from these groups so that we can become competent social workers when working with clients from these backgrounds.
