Posts

Ana Acoltzi

ENG 2150

Spring 2023

The Association of Culture and Race on Mental Health Treatment

For as long as I can remember, culture has always been a sense of pride to my family and I. It reminds us of where we come from, how we identify ourselves, and how it makes us different from everyone else. Cultural factors include beliefs, values, attitudes, religion, and traditions. However, as I started to grow up, there was some realization that there wasn’t much talk on mental health in my culture.  Any kind of complaint or expression of a negative emotion like anxiety or stress, would be overlooked. This is because there’s the cultural expectation that it can be easily dealt with. Unfortunately these expectations are caused by trauma from generations before, and as a result avoid to seek treatment because of the way they might be mistreated. Regardless, of how beautiful cultures can be, there should be some attention to how it influences mental health and the way we seek treatment or support. Therefore, while researching on this topic I found out the roots of this problem goes deeper than I thought because regardless of anyone’s background; mental health care should be provided to individuals without unfair treatment based on their race or culture. 

After researching it made me understand why a topic like mental health might be different or hard to talk about depending on the culture and race. In my experience, something like mental health can be hard to mention or talk to with family or friends especially if treatment is brought up. This is because the context of the issue matters to decide on whether treatment is needed. There has to be some consideration to financial situations, cultural perspectives, and the type of treatment that will be provided. If these factors are not looked through it would be like treating a tree without considering their roots. For example, some cultures may stigmatize mental illness, leading individuals to deny or hide their symptoms and delay seeking help. From my experience, my family had some condemnation towards mental health because it wasn’t something they were able to open up to easily especially if it relates to trauma. They would mention how I can’t be sad or stressed because there could be worse. Which it is true but in some way it made me feel like what I felt wasn’t important. This feeling made me connect to the article called Mental Health Among Latinx emerging adults: Examining the role of familial accusations of assimilation and ethnic identity. This is a research report that focuses on the influence of culture during the development stage to adulthood. Based on their research they discovered, “As a Latinx emerging adult is confronted with accusations of assimilation, there can be feelings of unacceptance, identity confusion, and alienation which can lead to depressive and anxious symptomatology, as shown in this study.” This discovery reminded me of how previous generations call the present generation as snowflakes or lost their touch to their culture because they act a certain way they are not accustomed too or approve of. These accusations on the younger generations would impact their mental health, and doubt their ethnic identity by feeling like they are not succeeding the cultural expectations. As a result this a way to demonstrate how culture and the stigmatization on mental illness can impact a person to seek for treatment. 

But apart from culture, race is also a factor that could prevent an individual from getting proper treatment. For instance, during my research I found two different age groups of racial and ethnic minorities that can further point out how there can be a cultural barrier, making it harder for them to access culturally sensitive mental health services. The first age group are college students who are at least 18 years old and the second age group are elders. To begin with the research on college students went from 2013 to 2021 in order to gather the most accurate information they can get. The source is called Trends in college student health and help seeking by race/ethnicity: Findings from the national healthy minds study 2013 – 2021, based on their findings they stated that “We find that the disparities in treatment access by race/ethnicity that existed in 2013 changed very little by 2021, showing a lack of progress towards equity, and for some outcomes and groups, a widening of inequalities over time.” This information supports the idea that racial minorities don’t have the access to treatment as much as they need to. Their research shows how treatment varies among race and overall showcases how there is a worsening mental health among all students regardless of race. This made be think about the people around me in college because our demographic is very diverse so every experience is different when it comes to mental health. Similar to college age students, the study on racial minority elders share the same results. This source is called Mental Health Issues in Racial and Ethnic Minority Elderly, it’s a report that concentrates on the concern of the elderly population mental health. According to the information they were able to share the same results that there are some inequalities when it comes to the treatment they receive. Based on the race they are it can also affect the expression and treatment of mental health disorders due to the social and economic disparities experienced by people of different racial and ethnic groups. However, compared to the student research instead of focusing on race they also focused on culture. They claimed that “Because cultural differences can lead to unequal treatment due to bias, stereotyping, and prejudice on the part of clinicians, clinicians need to be particularly vigilant when while caring for racial and ethnic minority elderly.” This brings cultural awareness to clinicians because as diversity increases among the United States there has to be a better understanding when it comes to dealing with their mental health. Additionally, cultural factors such as language barriers, distrust of the health care system, and a lack of representation in mental health professionals can further hinder access to appropriate mental health care. Others may attribute mental health symptoms to supernatural causes or personal weakness, leading them to seek traditional healing practices instead of conventional mental health services. In this situation I can add on that from the elders I know including my grandparents refuse mental health treatment and stick to their traditional practices. The reason why they do this is because they mistrust the health care system since there is lack of representation and awareness from the medical professionals. Some cultures find self-reliance more important and discourage seeking professional assistance. Populations such as Native Americans and Alaska Natives prefer traditional healers that focus on mental health treatment rather than the clinics that misunderstands their mental issues. 

This demonstrates how there has to be a better way we can fix our mental health care system into a more cultural awareness system. In the source called The Influence of Culture and Society on Mental Health, they claimed that “The cultures of ethnic and racial minorities alter the types of mental health services they use. Cultural misunderstandings or communication problems between patients and clinicians may prevent minorities from using services and receiving appropriate care.” This statement supports how receiving mental health care treatment is more complicated than other might think especially because it involves cultural awareness and non racial bias. These populations are also more likely to experience socioeconomic stressors, such as poverty, inadequate housing, and inadequate access to healthcare, which can contribute to the development of mental health disorders. Situations like these contribute to the lack of treatment cultural and racial minorities might or might not be able to receive. There’s a book called In Culture and Mental Health: Sociocultural Influences, Theory, and Practice that talks about the different ways culture impacts the treatment individuals receive. They declare that “When cross-cultural interactions are not approached appropriately, clients are more likely to misdiagnosed, receive inappropriate treatment, give up on treatment, and receive fewer benefits than their European American counterparts.” To add on to this information, there’s a language barrier that I notice a lot in clinics, this can be a challenge to accurately express mental health symptoms or concerns. Personally, my parents would always request or wait until they can meet with someone that can understand the same language as them. They know some English but they are not fluent enough to share something important like their health issues in order to receive proper treatment. Therefore, based in this information there has to be some cultural competence that requires clinicians to be more aware of different values, their own biases, and assumptions. As well as developing strategies or specific interventions that are appropriate to use on our current diverse population. 

In conclusion, by addressing these issues it is essential to promote culturally awareness in mental health care that is able to respect and acknowledge the cultural values an individual might have. By doing so there can be a decrease on stigma, enhancing access to services that are mindful to cultural differences, and incorporating various populations in the development of mental health policies and plans. There can be a cooperation among mental health care professionals and communities to create a more inclusive, culturally and racially supportive systems that is more beneficial to anyone. 

Ana Acoltzi

ENG 2150

Spring 2023

Assignment 2: Compare and Contrast

Research question: How do cultural factors and race impact the expression and treatment of mental health disorders?

            As human beings, we all go through struggles to a certain extent and under different circumstances. It’s part of life to have ups and downs with our mental stability. What’s important is how a person might want to deal with their mental health. Treatment and therapy are always a solution but unfortunately, not all communities have that access or courage, to begin with. Which leads to the question as in, why? There could be endless reasons why this might be. But in this case, I want to focus specifically on the argument of how culture and race might affect a person’s expression and treatment of mental health disorders. Throughout my research, I found two articles that could further describe the connection between culture and race to mental health. One of them is called: Mental Health Issues in Racial and Ethnic Minority Elderly by Nhi-Ha T. Trinh, Richard Bernard-Negron, and Iqbal Ahmed. The second article is called: Trends in College Student Mental Health and Help-Seeking by Race/ethnicity: Findings From The National Healthy Minds Study, 2013-2021 by a group of at least nine researchers. Given the fact that both articles talk about mental health; an even more crucial part of this research involves the different rhetorical appeals each article can provide to further support the reason that culture and race have an impact on mental health. 

            To begin with, mental health professionals need to consider cultural factors and race when it comes to mental health. I believe it is a factor that some people might overlook when it comes to mental health, and regardless of anyone’s background; mental health care should be provided to all individuals. It would also be crucial to address the structural barriers that limit access to mental health care for marginalized communities and to work towards eliminating the systemic inequities that contribute to mental health disparities. Fortunately, these two articles provide information to get us closer to these social conflicts. Throughout their research they targeted different demographics; as you can tell from their article titles. One of them targeted college students that could consist of ages eighteen to twenty-two, while the other article focuses on elders from minority communities. Their different demographics bring characterization to their research because the reader gets to know more about these two different groups. There can also be a sense of connection to these demographics because most could relate to them especially when it comes to mental health.

 But to summarize the article about college student’s mental health it was a long study where they gathered data from 2013 to 2021. They gathered volunteers throughout all those years and provided them with a survey which they can gather data from. As a result, they discovered that student’s mental health has worsened among all the racial groups they could gather. Whereas, the other article concluded that racial and ethnic minority elders frequently encounter a burden of unmet mental health needs. Both of these conclusions add up to how culture and race can impact a person’s mental health. On top of this, it is crucial to mention how different these two articles are structured. What makes their structure very different is how and what they did to present or demonstrate their data.  For instance, the college student article consists of three tables of data they have gathered from their survey. They made sure to explain each table and how they were able to gather it; to make their final claim. Although, the article on the elders also has at least one table they were more focused on the reasons behind culture and race impacting the mental health of elders. Their data was broken into sections that make it easier to navigate and find a specific detail the reader might be looking for. By the end of their sections, they were able to make their final statement. 

Even though both articles have different structures they share a similar conflict, which is mental health. Both of them strived to gather any kind of data that involves mental health and how it might pact different racial groups. For example, the elder study made sure to state that: “As the population of racial and ethnic minority elderly continues to grow, there is a demographic and public health imperative to understand how to better care for this population.” Whereas, the student study claimed that: “The purpose of this study is to examine annual trends for mental health and help-seeking by race/ethnicity in a national sample of college students.” They might sound different but they share a similar conflict, which is how they might be able to treat mental health with different racial groups. Especially on how culture and ethnicity might contribute to this conflict. 

Besides, their related conflict they also share similar appeals. Specifically, ethos and logos. Both articles focus on case studies, statistics, or references to other research which is what makes them appeal to logos. For example, the article on elder minorities made sure to reference that: “This review evaluates the impact of race, ethnicity, and culture on the aging process, psychopathology, psychiatric care, education, and clinical research.” This demonstrates that this article was written based on other studies and statistics. This useful information can make the reader further understand how mental health can be treated and get to know a specific minority group even more. Since this information in both articles provides research and actual studies it can make the reader trust their findings, which can lead to ethos. Ethos consists of credible sources and credibility in the research. I would argue that both articles were able to provide ethos since they are confident and serious about mental health as the main topic. To further demonstrate ethos; in one of the articles they made sure to talk about the process of their research including how everything is consensual and even had an unbiased categorization. For instance, in the college student study they made sure to inform the reader that: “While it has been common in research to operationalize White as the reference group, we depart from this practice to avoid perpetuating the idea that any racial/ethnic group represents the ‘norm’.” This appealed to me because not only are they breaking from being biased but it also shows how they are serious about finding out every racial group’s problem with mental health. This creates some trust with the reader because they are honest with their decisions and demonstrate their sincere interest in finding out results involving mental health.

As a result, both articles share similar qualities with just different structures but that’s what makes them stand out from each other. Overall, this topic is important because it’s something we can all relate to and should focus on too. After all, mental health can affect our daily lives. Breaking down these two articles helped me understand this topic even deeper because instead of reviewing it argumentatively it was reviewed structurally. Hopefully, by the end, there is a further understanding of mental health depending on each racial group. 

Sources: 

1. Lipson , Sarah Ketchenn, Sasha Zhou , Sara Abelson , Justin Heinze , Matthew Jirsa , Jasmine Morigney , Akilah Patterson , Meghna Singh , and Daniel Eisenberg . “Trends in College Student Mental Health and Help-Seeking by Race/Ethnicity: Findings from the National Healthy Minds Study, 2013 – 2021,” March 18, 2022. https://www-sciencedirectcom.remote.baruch.cuny.edu/science/article/pii/S0165032722002774?via%3Dihub. 

2. Trinh , Nhi-Ha T., Richard Bernard-Negron, and Iqbal Ike Ahmed . “Mental Health Issues in Racial and Ethnic Minority Elderly .” NYC, September 14, 2019.