People From Diverse Communities Often Afraid to Seek Mental Health Treatment

Maria recently confided to her doctor that she was having a hard time at work because of her depression.
He immediately referred Maria to a psychologist and she was able to start getting some benefit from
therapy, combined with medicine from her physician.

Because Maria knows her problem didn't arise overnight, she recognizes it will not go away in a week or
two. Even with medicine and therapy, her treatment will probably take at least a month before any
significant results occur, her therapist says.

While Maria wants to talk to her boss about this matter, particularly since she is having some trouble
adjusting to her medications, she is afraid of her boss's reaction.

"Lots of people really don't understand mental illness very well, so you had better keep this to yourself,"
Maria's mother advises.

"It can be a real stigma for you if anyone finds out you are getting counseling," her mother adds.

Why should stigma have anything to do with getting treatment for a mental health problem? Or talking
about it?

In general, stigma is an attempt to label a particular group of people as less worthy of respect than others.
It can manifest as a mark of shame, disgrace or disapproval that results in discrimination.

Too often, stigma results in fear, mistrust, and violence against people living with mental illness and their
families, according to officials from the U.S. Public Health Service.

Family and friends may turn their backs on people with mental illness, exhibiting prejudice and
discrimination, keeping the person with problems from seeking help.

Maria joins 1 in 5 Americans living with a mental disorder, and estimates indicate that nearly two-thirds of
all people with a diagnosable mental illness do not seek treatment, especially people from diverse
communities.

By visiting her doctor and seeking treatment, Maria doesn't fall into the stigma trap, despite her mother's
misinformed warnings

Her mother's lack of knowledge, fear of disclosure, and her predictions of Maria's rejection and
discrimination by friends are typical reasons why people with mental illnesses all too often don't seek
professional help.

Discrimination against people with mental illness violates their rights and denies them opportunities, say
U.S. Public Health officials. Despite Civil Rights Laws such as the Americans with Disabilities Act, people
with mental illnesses still experience discrimination in the workplace, education, housing, and healthcare.
And it happens far too often.
Ethnic and racial communities in the U.S. face a social and economic environment of inequality that
includes greater exposure to racism, discrimination, violence and poverty, health officials say.

"Mistrust of mental health services is an important reason why people of color are deterred from seeking
treatment. Their concerns are reinforced by evidence (both direct and indirect) of clinician bias and
stereotyping."

When people like Maria do seek help, the cultures of racial and ethnic groups may alter the types of
mental health services used. Clinical environments that do not respect or are incompatible with the
cultures of the people they serve may deter people from seeking help to begin with, adherence to
treatment and follow-up care.

Culture Counts -- one's racial or ethnic background often bears upon whether people even seek help in
the first place, what types of help they seek, what coping styles and social supports they have, and how
much stigma they attach to mental illness, health officials say.

In this case, Maria is the exception when she decides to speak with her company's human relations head
about her illness and her treatment, after speaking first with her psychologist and doctor to make sure she
has accurate information about her treatment plan.

As it turns out, Maria's company has a diversity awareness and support philosophy. She is reassured her
company will work with her to make sure she is treated fairly as she goes through treatment.

"I'm happy that my company is so progressive," Maria states. "Now, I'm going to do what it takes to get
well."