Opinion Article Analysis 3: "Disparities Seen In Mental Care for Minorities"

Summary:
In Erica Goode's "Disparities Seen In Mental Care for Minorities," she discusses the mental health issues that minorities suffer from because of their lack of access to services/resources, receive lower quality healthcare and cultural reasons that inhibits minorities to seek for help. Minorities experience numerous mental disorders like depression, schizophrenia, panic disorder, manic depression and substance abuse. The author mentions how there should be ways to "bridge the gap between the need and the access to services." She recommended more development in mental health services geared towards minorities and supporting their model of mental health resources. She also addresses the importance of more cultural awareness in mental health professionals to improve efforts in addressing the mental health of minorities. She believes that spending a little money short-term can make big long-term changes where minorities can benefit from "cultural appropriate" services.

Analysis:
This article discussed important points in mental healthcare affecting the minority population. The author addresses how minorities suffer from societal pressures and environmental factors could lead to mental health disorders. This shows that minority health is at risk because they live in poor neighborhoods with the appropriate resources to be healthy. The author's assumption of cultural reasons inhibiting minorities to seek help is a good point. There is a stigma attached to mental health for most cultures and creating more cultural awareness in healthcare professionals is critical to providing minorities the best possible care. The article also discusses the author's efforts in improving the overall mental health services for minorities. This shows that change is happening and the hopes of closing the gap is possible. Providing methods to close this gap, like educating the mental health providers with more cultural awareness and recommending mental health services geared towards the minority population are the steps in addressing disparities seen in mental care for minorities.

Response:
I strongly agree with the author's points and conclusions in this article and I believe that this article is a credible source. Minorities are affected by environmental and social determinants in health, so building mental illnesses from these stresses is possible. I agree that culture plays a big role in seeking for help when minorities know that their health requires medical attention. From my experiences in my own culture, I was taught that mental health is generally stigmatized in many racial/ethnic minorities. There are consequences when trying to address mental illness with a medical professional and seeking for medical are shows a sign of weakness. I believe that the author's proposal in educating the mental health providers about the minority cultures will greatly benefit in diminishing the disparities in mental health. With a better understanding of the cultural beliefs and practices, mental health providers can better serve the minority population and improve the overall health system.