Mminorities and Mental Ilnness

The cultures of racial and ethnic minorities influence many aspects of mental illness in the United States, including how patients from a given culture communicate and manifest their symptoms, their style of coping, their family and community support, and their willingness to seek treatment. Cultural and social influences are not the only determinants of mental illness and patterns of service use, but they do play important roles. The condition of mental illness is affecting minorities …

…the majority of adults and children with mental problems or disorders. Efforts to promote mental health for racial and ethnic minorities must include strategies to strengthen families to function at the full potential and to mitigate the stressful effects of caring for a relative with mental illness or a serious emotional disturbance. Along with family and the health care industry we can provide ways to help minorities in getting the proper treatment for mental illness.