Attitudes Towards Minorities With Mental Illness Social Work Essay

Attitudes Towards Minorities With Mental Illness Social Work Essay Members of ethnic minority groups are faced with several barriers that prevent them from adequately participating in treatment for mental illness. Mental illnesses are commonly overlooked and untreated due to the negative connotations that surround them. Minorities with lower socioeconomic status frequently have poor physical health, which creates vulnerability to mental illness pooled with a lack of affordable treatment and accessible resources. Stigma along with various beliefs and attitudes generates discrimination and social distancing behaviors towards persons with mental illness, as a result of the direct affects of ignorance, negative attitudes, and common beliefs. This often results in discrepancy and underutilization of service amongst minority populations. Mental Illness is a disorder of the brain that affects a person’s mood, thinking and behavior (Cohen 2002, NIMH). Mental disorders are all around us, however, in many cases some are overlooked. According to the Na tional Institute of Mental Health an estimated 26.2 percent of Americans, ages 18 and older, suffer from a diagnosable mental disorder each year; an estimated 45 percent of those with any diagnosable mental disorder meet criteria for 2 or more disorders (NIMH 2010). Serious mental illnesses interrupt a person’s ability to carry out essential aspects of daily life. There are several different types of mental illnesses some of which are more severe than others, however, the most common disorders are depression, anxiety disorders, panic attacks, bipolar disorders, phobias, eating disorders, substance abuse, dementia, and schizophrenia (Kobau 2008). Causes of mental illness range from inherited traits and genetics to biological, environmental and social cultural factors to life experiences, such as excessive stress. When mental illnesses are left untreated, it can cause emotional, physical and behavioral health problems (Cohen, 2002; Whitley, 2010). However, due to stigmas and va rious negative connotations surrounding mental illness people often try to reject, ignore or self medicate the illness in a state of denial (Cohen, 2002). Moreover, poverty is an important moderator of the correlation between serious mental illness and social problems (Draine, 2002). African Americans as well as minorities are more prone to suffer from significant and persistent disparities within the mental health system (Whitley, 2010). This research paper will examine racial differences of both men and women suffering from common mental illness disorders and their usage of mental health services associated with stigmas. Minorities suffering from mental illness are often less likely to access service from a mental health professional, and will more often receive poor quality care or drop out upon admittance (Whitley, 2010). Stigma and Discrimination The term stigma originally derives from the ancient Greek practice where criminals were branded, leaving them with a mark referred to as a stigma that allowed them to be easily identified (Gibson 2008). Persons with a stigma were usually rejected from society, viewed as outcast, and devalued by society similar to persons suffering from mental illness. Due to the stigma attached to persons tormented by mental illness, it forms a lack of personal contact with persons suffering from these disorders; resulting in a lack of knowledge, which in turn leads to prejudices, negative attitudes and stereotypes towards them (Alegria 2002, Guimà ³n 2010). Stigmatization of persons suffering with mental illness stems from socio-cultural, ethnic, religious, and economic factors (Guimà ³n, 2010). Stereotype-based negative attitudes and prejudices towards mental illness develop early in life, originating from cultural, historical and media depictions (Sartorius Bauman, 2007; Guimà ³n 2010).