...the connection between ethnicity and mental illness looks at culture as the internal social element, along with the larger social forces of health inequalities and racism, which have shaped current outcomes or the virtual reality of living as an ethnic minority. Values can differ greatly between cultures, and even within them, so it is impossible for institutions to govern with values that align with everyone. This applies to mental health as well, as definitions of health and illness vary so differently across cultures. This means that mental health diagnosis is tied so closely to culture, and is largely impacted by dominant western culture...
Words: 1327 - Pages: 6
...Mental Health Care Disparities: Consequences of Ineffectiveness and Lack of Access for Minorities Ebony Marinnie RN Rowan University Mental Health Care Disparities: Consequences of ineffectiveness and lack of access for minorities For ages mental illness has been seen as the ultimate curse. The mentally ill were seen as possessed, hidden from society, and never talked about. In America, it is estimated that 26.2 percent of people ages 18 and older suffer from a diagnosed mental disorder in a given year (Kessler,Chiu, Walters, & Demler, 2005). The aforementioned statistics reflect those that have sought or been forced into treatment. There are many left uncounted due to lack of access and ineffective treatment secondary to a number of reasons. Considering history, discrimination, personal perception, socioeconomic status, educational backgrounds and a host of other reasons many minority groups are reluctant to seek out treatment in what many may consider a system of mental health created and sustained primarily for the middle and upper-class White America. In fact, 60 percent of people with mental illnesses do not receive treatment (Kessler et al., 2005). The purpose of this paper is to discuss mental health care disparities in minority populations within American society, and to suggest some needed changes to close the gap in America. One quarter of all Americans meet the criteria for having a mental illness and a quarter of those have a disorder that significantly...
Words: 2360 - Pages: 10
...Academics & Mental Health The initial research topic was to focus on the mainstream media representation of model minority myth within the Asian American Community, but the broad scope and definition creates a challenge of conveying a personalize message through digital photography. The revised topic illustrates the mental stress and problems created from the model minority myth and cultural tensions. “[The Model Minority Myth] theory offered a promise of equality that could be achieved, not through political organization and community empowerment, but only through individual effort, cultural assimilation, and political accommodation.” (Robert Lee 268) The stereotypes characteristics of a hardworking immigrants, obedient members of society,...
Words: 1344 - Pages: 6
...studies about the disparities in mental...
Words: 1764 - Pages: 8
...is the relationship between ethnicity and inequality? Learning targets: • There are ethnic differences in life chances in the UK. • Some ethnic minorities appear to be the victims of racism and discrimination in the UK • There have been strict laws to prevent racism and ethnic inequality in the UK. • There are those who believe that the social changes that have come about because of legal controls are more cosmetic than deeply embedded into our social structure. Key questions (AO1) What evidence is there of ethnic inequality in UK? (AO1) How are ethnic inequalities being challenged by government policies? (AO2) To what extent is British culture racist and ethnically unequal? (AO2) What are social implications of racism in our society? Summary of Key Points 1 2 What is racism? Racism is the belief that some ethnic groups are superior and others inferior. This belief is often associated with notions of skin pigmentation or the minor physical differences that are sometimes apparent between different groups of people. However, racism is not always associated with skin colour, but also with culture, ethnicity, with religious belief or language differences. The notion of racism itself is also a very recent idea in our society. In the past, the idea that people from certain ethnic groups were superior to and different from others was so deeply ingrained into much thinking that...
Words: 4128 - Pages: 17
...Health Promotion Among Asian Americans Robert Ramirez Grand Canyon University: NRS-429V Family-Centered Health Promotion February 22, 2015 Health Promotion Among Asian Americans The U.S. Public Health Service defines health promotion as “the process of advocating health in order to enhance the probability that personal, private, and public support of positive health practices will become a societal norm” (Edelman, Mandle, & Kudzma, 2014). Health is a basic human right; optimal health is a well-balanced structure of emotional, physical, spiritual, psychological, intellectual, and social well-being. The purpose of health promotion in nursing is to increase health knowledge that will in turn positively influence health behaviors of individuals and communities (Foster, 2012). Roughly 36% of the U.S. population is made up of various ethnic or racial minorities. Of that 36%, 4.8% were Asian Americans. According to the Office of Management and Budget, “Asians” consist of people that originate from the Far East, Southeast Asia, Cambodia, China, India, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Pakistan Thailand, Vietnam, or the Philippine Islands (CDC, 2014). These 14.7 million people are dispersed throughout the country, with Hawaii having the largest concentration (57%) of the total Asian population (CDC, 2014). The CDC (2014) states that minority groups “experience a disproportionate burden of preventable disease, death, and disability compared with non-minorities.” This paper will concentrate...
Words: 1631 - Pages: 7
...Health Promotion Among Diverse Populations: Asian Americans Courtney Rasmussen Grand Canyon University February 15, 2015 In 1849, the Chinese were some the first ethnic group that many refer to as Asian Americans and later as Asian American/Pacific Islanders (AAPI). (Kem B. Louie, 2001) “Asian” however, refers to a very diverse group of people that come from over fifty (50) different countries, that speak more than one hundred (100) different dialects, which practice a broad range of different religions, and lead a variety of lifestyles. People from as far east such as Southeast Asia, Thailand, Vietnam, the Philippine Islands, Japan, the Indian subcontinent including for example Cambodia, Indonesia, China, Korea, Pakistan, Nepal, Taiwan, and Malaysia. (Office of Minority Health and Health Equity, 2013) Asian Americans are often stereotyped as the “model minority,” and are perceived to be in tiptop health and have financial security. Therefore, their health concerns are often overlooked or quite frankly, often times, a language barrier is what stands between them and their health. Heart disease and Cancer are the leading causes of death in AAPI. (Office of Minority Health and Health Equity, 2013) And, approximately two million AAPI are uninsured in this country. While AAPI’s are less likely to live in poverty and more likely to graduate from college and have a management position, there remain still, several startling health disparities for this population of people. (Office...
Words: 1338 - Pages: 6
...trends in health and illness among different social groupings. For this task I have been asked to produce a report to investigate which social groupings are most in need of health and social care services. To assist in the planning of care provision in my report I will be explaining patterns and trends in health and illness among different social groupings identified according to factors such as gender, social class, geographical location, ethnicity and age. SOCIAL CLASS AND PATTERNS OF HEALTH AND ILLNESS Social class is an intricate issue that consists of status, wealth, culture, background and employment. The association between social class and ill health is far from being straight-forward. There are many influences on health and one of them is social class. The Black Report on Inequalities in Health Care was commissioned by the Department of Health in the United Kingdom by Health Minister David Ennals in 1977. They wanted to point out why the NHS was failing to reduce social inequalities in health and to investigate the problems. Ennals would do this by analysing people’s health records and lifestyles from different social class backgrounds. Ennals found that the overall health of the nation had improved but the improvement was not equal across all social class backgrounds. The gap in inequalities in health between the higher and lower social classes was widening. Ethnicity “According to the 2001 census 8% of the UK’s population is of an ethnic minority. It represented...
Words: 1881 - Pages: 8
...Effects of Intentions When the Multiculturalism Act was created, the intentions were positive, however, since the legislation was enacted in 1988, the effects have been positive and negative on individuals’ health and well-being. Identity The Multiculturalism Act has played a role in allowing individuals to retain their identities and practice cultural traditions and customs. This legislation has encouraged the celebration of many cultural and religious festivals and holidays across Canada that are essential to individuals’ identity (The Red and White, 2015). For example, the Sikh religious festival Vaisakhi is celebrated in many cities across Canada. It has been celebrated in Surrey for the past 17 years and individuals of all races and cultures attend and participate in the celebration (Surrey Vaisakhi Parade, 2015). These types of multicultural festivals and events can allow individuals to preserve their traditions and allow others to...
Words: 1057 - Pages: 5
...Ethnic Minorities and Psychiatric Services was written by authors Roland Littlewood and Sybil Cross. Roland Littlewood received his Ph.D. in Social Anthropology at the University of Oxford in 1987. He currently is a professor of Anthropology and Psychiatry in the Department of Anthropology and Department of Mental Health Sciences. He has an interest in medical and social anthropology of the Caribbean (Trinidad, Haiti), Albania and Britain. There is not available information about the second author Sybil Cross. The article addresses that ethnic minorities such as: African Americans, Asians, and Caribbean descent individuals have a higher probability of being hospitalized due to a psychiatric disorder. The manuscript mentions that ethnic attitudes...
Words: 319 - Pages: 2
...Health Services for Special Populations Jimmesha Atmore Polk State College Abstract There are population groups that experience greater barriers in access to care, financing of care, and racial or cultural acceptance. In this paper, these population groups are defined, their health needs are described, and their major challenges are summarized. Keywords: access, care, groups, health, patients, populations Health Services for Special Populations Certain population clusters in the U.S face bigger challenges than the general population in acquiring apt and necessary health care amenities. These groups of the population are made up of racial and ethnic minorities, uninsured children, women, those living in rural areas, the homeless, the mentally ill and disabled, and those with HIV/AIDS (Shi & Singh 2012). When it comes to racial and ethnic minorities, they have had their share of struggles for the longest. Substantial differences occur across these various groups on health-related lifestyles and health status. Things like prenatal care, live birth aspects, smoking and drinking differ greatly throughout these groups. Ethnic minorities are more likely to not have health insurance than Whites. Lack of insurance coverage is also more predominant in the South and West United States, among individuals who lack a high school diploma and the unemployed (Shi & Singh 2012). Uninsured people tend to be poor, less educated, have part-time jobs, and are young because...
Words: 1000 - Pages: 4
...different rates of mental illness? In general, people from black and minority ethnic groups living in the UK are more likely to be diagnosed with mental health problems. These differences may be explained by a number of factors, including poverty and racism. They may also be because mainstream mental health services often fail to understand or provide services that are acceptable and accessible to non-white British communities and meet their particular cultural and other needs. Irish people living in the UK have much higher hospital admission rates for mental health problems than other ethnic groups. In particular they have higher rates of depression and alcohol problems and are at greater risk of suicide. These higher rates may, in part, be caused by social disadvantage among Irish people in the UK, including poor housing and social isolation. African Caribbean people living in the UK have lower rates of common mental disorders than other ethnic groups but are more likely to be diagnosed with severe mental illness. African Caribbean people are three to five times more likely than any other group to be diagnosed and admitted to hospital for schizophrenia. However, most of the research in this area has been based on service use statistics. Some research suggests that the actual numbers of African Caribbean people with schizophrenia is much lower than originally thought. The statistics on the numbers of Asian people in the United Kingdom with mental health problems are inconsistent...
Words: 421 - Pages: 2
...Outline evidence of ethnic inequality. (20m) Ethnic minorities are disadvantaged in terms of wealth. According to the Sunday Time’s rich list of 2009, the top 100 richest people in Britain were disproportionately white; only 5 could be categorised as Asian, 2 as Arab and 0 Blacks. Along with Blacks having the lowest unemployment rate of 12%, British Pakistanis/Bangladeshis have the lowest average hourly wage of £9.98 and are twice likely to have temporal contracted employment than their white counterparts. Modood and Berthoud carried out a workplace survey and found that the extent of poverty was amongst the Bangladeshi and Pakistani population. Ethnic minorities are disadvantaged in terms of crime. The Institute of Race Relations claimed there were 65 murders with suspected racial motivations between 1991 and 1997. Most notoriously was perhaps the Stephen Lawrence murder in 1993. The subsequent Macpherson inquiry resulted in the Metro Police being branded as “institutionally racist” for its handling of the handling of the murder case. This was because they didn’t properly investigate the murder because they assumes, due to his skin colour, it was gang related. They were numerously given tips about a group of lads whom many believed to be the suspects but repeatedly ignored it despite their history of crime. However their incompetent investigating led to the destruction of evidence by both the investigators themselves and also the suspects. Moreover, police stop and search...
Words: 522 - Pages: 3
...Evidence-Informed Practice: An Evaluation of the David Bennett Inquiry Report In this essay I will evaluate the David Bennett Inquiry Report, which was set up by the North, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire Strategic Health Authority (NSCSHA) to investigate the death of Mr David Bennett. I will define evidence-informed practice (EIP) and summarise the inquiry report. I shall highlight and critically analyse some of the key issues raised in the report in relation to ethnic minority issues. Finally, I will discuss the implications of evidence-informed practice for social work as well as my own future practice. EIP in social work began in the early 1990s when contemporary writers Geraldine MacDonald and her colleagues wrote articles very much in contrast to earlier reviews; they looked at results from studies such as quasi-experimental studies and client opinion studies about the effectiveness of social work practice. This led to good outcomes for social work practice (Webber, 2011) [Online]. Evidence-informed practice in social work has been described as: ‘Evidence based social care is the conscientious, explicit and judicious use of current best evidence in making decisions regarding the welfare of those in need of social services.’ (Sheldon and Chilvers, 2000, p.5, adapted from Sackett et al., 1996 cited in Webber, 2011, p.3) Webber (2011) and Sheldon and Chilvers (2000, p.5, adapted from Sackett et al., 1996 cited in Webber, 2011, p.3) both define EIP as using effective interventions...
Words: 3522 - Pages: 15
...reauthorizations have been controversial, as the Act's opponents have sought to weaken its protections for youth, reduce prevention resources, and encourage the transfer of youth to the adult criminal justice system. The Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act follow a series of federal protections, known as the "core protections," on the care and treatment of youth in the justice system. The four "core protections" of the act are, the Deinstitutionalization of Status Offenders (DSO), Sight and Sound separation, Jail Removal, and Disproportionate Minority Confinement (DMC). The "DSO" and "Sight and Sound" protections were part of the original law in 1974. The "Jail Removal" provision was added in 1980 in response to finding youth incarcerated in adult facilities resulted in "a high suicide rate, physical, mental, and sexual assault, inadequate care and programming, negative labeling, and exposure to serious offenders and mental patients." The "DMC" requirement was added in the JJDPA in 1992. Literature Review The compliance of states towards the requirements of the JJDP Act is monitored by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. As of the year 2000, the...
Words: 6750 - Pages: 27