The Stigma of Mental Illness in Racial Minority Groups

662 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Impact of religion in latin america essay

Latino/a Americans are also one of the fastest growing ethnic minority groups according to the United States Census Bureau (date). When looking into the Latino/a American culture, the most important values leisure time, activities, the Catholic church, and family relationships (Saracho & Spodek, 2005). Andres-Hyman, Ortiz, Anez, Paris, and Davidson (2006) state Latino/a Americans, like Asian Americans and African Americans, value collectivism, interdependence, and cooperation. Religion is also extremely important to the family and plays a huge role in daily life. Some families believe being socially well-educated is more important than being academically well-educated, and if an individual knows how to behave properly in a social setting, they will honor their family in the eyes of the community (Saracho & Spodek, 2005, p. 212). Latino/as rely on their family, community, traditional healers, and/or church for help during a health crisis, and value marianismo, which refers to traits in women including moral nurturing and self-sacrifice (American Psychiatric Association [APA], 2014); the male counterpart, machismo refers to the belief that men should be strong and provide for their families (Andres-Hymean et al., 2006). Andres-Hyman et al. talk about the three major cultural constructs worth noting in the Latino American culture. The first construct is dignidad y respeto, which means dignity and respect. Familismo means family values and emphasizes family relationships and family loyalty. Lastly, personalismo refers to relating to one another on a personal level instead of a formal or institutional level. Latino/a culture also values building interpersonal relationships, and if one is unable to interact with others due to a... ... middle of paper ... ...tp://www.uniteforsight.org/mental-health/module2 United States Census Bureau. (2013). Asians fastest-growing race or ethnic group in 2012, census bureau reports. Retrieved on March 8, 2014 fromhttps://www.census.gov/newsroom/releases/archives/population/cb13-112.html US Department of Health and Human Services (USDHHS). (1999). Mental health: A report of the surgeon general. Rockville, MD: David Satcher. Ward, E., & Heidrich, S. (2009). African American women's beliefs about mental illness, stigma, and preferred coping behaviors.Research In Nursing & Health, 32, 480-492.doi:10 Whaley, A. L. (1997). Ethnic and racial differences in perceptions of dangerousness of persons with mental illness. Psychiatric Services, 48, 1328-1330. Wimberly, E.P. (1997). Counseling African American marriages and families [Electronic Version]. Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press.

Show More
Related

  • Sandra Cisneros' Never Marry a Mexican and Junot Diaz’s The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao

    1231 Words  | 3 Pages

    ... what their culture tells them. A person’s culture may tell them that only certain things are socially acceptable, thus, when they exit from those norms they are ostracized and condemned. The social class that a person grows up in, their sexuality, and the gender norms that a particular culture creates all influence the way a person views themselves. The cultures of Hispanic countries place a large weight on social acceptance and abiding by social norms. These cultures are not as open to variances in how people act, unlike some other cultures. The United States of America is a country that promotes individualism, while other countries, especially Hispanic ones, tend to emphasize being part of a group. Human beings are naturally social creatures who need to communicate with other people, however, when they are ostracized by the group they begin to keep to themselves.

    Read More

  • Hispanic and Native Americans Culture in California

    1932 Words  | 4 Pages

    Family is the most important social unit of Hispanic life. It is a close-knit entity that includes immediate and extended family members. Typically, the father is the head of the family and the mother rules the house (Clutter, n.d.). Vacations are usually taken to relatives’ houses to promote togetherness in celebration of birthdays, anniversaries, weddings, graduations, and communions. In times of need, the family is the first line of aid, and Hispanics typically live with their parents until marriage. While this deviates from American ideals for individuals aged 18-35, it actually provides young adults the opportunity for future success because so much money is saved from greatly reduced housing costs (Williams, 2009).

    Read More

  • Essay On Mexican Culture

    2406 Words  | 5 Pages

    An article reviewed, described the term spirituality among Latinos, rather than Latino spirituality, was used to denote different perspectives that may exist across various Latino populations. Multiple, socially constructed phenomena such as racialized and gendered identities, class, immigration status, language, and adherence to Catholic Church doctrine or another religious denomination all may contribute to diversity among Latinos ' expression of spirituality. Personalismo is an important Latino cultural value that is characterized by warmth, closeness, and empathy in one 's relationship with others. In faith experiences, this translates to a direct and intimate relationship with one 's conception of a universal being, which may include Christian concepts of God, Jesus, the Virgin Mary, the Virgin of Guadalupe, and/or various saints

    Read More

  • Social Issues In The Latino Community

    1362 Words  | 3 Pages

    Social problems include difficulties with family relationships, isolation, interpersonal conflicts, and pressures of social roles. The Latino culture tends to place a higher premium on the well-being of the family unit over that of any one family member, a concept termed familialism (Smith & Montilla, 2006). In general, familialism emphasizes interdependence and connectedness in the family, and often extends familial ties beyond the nuclear family (Falicov, 1998). Given these values, Latinos often describe depression in terms of social withdrawal and isolation (Letamendi, et al., 2013). Social roles also play an important role in mental health, traditional gender roles in particular are strongly enforced and can be a source of distress. In Latino culture, men and women are expected to fulfill the roles outlined in the traditions of Machismo and Marianismo respectively. Machismo indicates that the man is supposed to be strong and authoritative, while Marianismo designates the woman as the heart of the family both morally and emotionally (Dreby, 2006). Although there is little research on causal factors, adherence to these traditional gender roles can pose a psychological burden and has been found to be strong predictor of depression (Nuñez, et al., 2015). The centrality of social problems in the conceptualization of depression for Latinos may be reflective of the collectivistic values that are characteristic of the group. Although these values have the potential to contribute to depression, they also have the potential to serve as protective factors and promote mental health (Holleran & Waller, 2003). Therefore, it is imperative that the counselor carefully consider cultural values, both in terms of potential benefits and drawbacks, to provide appropriate counseling to the Latino

    Read More

  • Hispanic Cultural Culture

    1030 Words  | 3 Pages

    As a traditional, collectivistic cultural group, the Latino population is believed to adhere deeply to the value of familismo. (Arditti, 2006; Calzada, 2014). Familism is an emphasis on the importance of the family unit over values of autonomy and individualism”. (Santistaben, 2012). Family is considered to be the top priority in the Latino culture. Comparatively, at times, this isn’t true of our busy, work devoted western culture. In western culture we think of our family in a nuclear sense made up of a: mom, dad, and siblings. Conversely, Hispanic culture focuses on the whole extended family including aunts, uncles, grandparent, and cousins. Their culture believes having close connections with the entire extended family benefits the development of their children. The entire family helps the child by giving them differing levels of social and emotional support. (American Home Resolutions,

    Read More

  • Mental Health Crisis in the African American Community

    1727 Words  | 4 Pages

    Ward, Earlise C. African American Women's Beliefs about Mental Illness, Stigma, and Preferred Coping Behaviors. Madison: Wiley Periodicals, 2009. Print.

    Read More

  • Abraham Lincoln’s Depression

    1906 Words  | 4 Pages

    "NAMI - The National Alliance on Mental Illness." NAMI. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 Feb. 2014.

    Read More

  • The Criminalization of the Mentally Ill

    3759 Words  | 8 Pages

    Markowitz, F. E. (2011). Mental illness, crime, and violence: Risk, context, and social control. Aggression and Violent Behavior, 36-44.

    Read More

  • ADHD: Diagnosis, Treatment, Etiology, and Treatment Outlook

    1976 Words  | 4 Pages

    "Mental Health: A Report of the Surgeon General - Chapter 3." Office of the Surgeon General (OSG). Web. 25 May 2010. .

    Read More

  • Mental Health and the Homeless Community

    1116 Words  | 3 Pages

    U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Mental Health: A Report of the Surgeon General. Rockville, MD: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Center for Mental Health Services, National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Mental Health, 1999.

    Read More

  • Mexican Immigration Discrimination Essay

    2918 Words  | 6 Pages

    Kanellos, Nicolás, Felix M- Padilla, and Claudio Esteva Fabregat, eds. Handbook of Hispanic Cultures in the United States: Sociology. Houston: Arte Publico Press, 1994. Print.

    Read More

  • Mental Illness in Native Americans

    939 Words  | 2 Pages

    In Sherman Alexie’s novel Indian Killer, there are many characters who struggle with mental disorders. Alexie states “She was manic-depressive and simply couldn’t take care of herself,” this is just one of the mental illnesses suffered in the book (212). Mental disorders are prevalent in the United States. All races are at risk of mental illness. In the article "Mental Health and Substance Abuse Characteristics Among a Clinical Sample of Urban American Indian/Alaska Native Youths in a Large California Metropolitan Area: a Descriptive Study" Daniel Dickerson and Carrie Johnson state “AI/ANs [American Indians/ Alaska Native] between the ages of 15 and 24 have the highest suicide rates in the United States compared to other racial/ethnic groups” (Dickerson and Johnson, 56). Native Americans are highly perceptible to mental illness due to the historical trauma their culture has endured.

    Read More

  • black families

    1406 Words  | 3 Pages

    Dickerson, Bette J. 1995. African American Single Mothers: Understanding their lives and Families. Sage Publications. Thousand Oaks.

    Read More

  • The Mental Health Stigma in our Society

    1157 Words  | 3 Pages

    Imagine society blamed people for being diagnosed with illnesses such as cancer? Claiming that it was their choices in life that led to such an awful disease. To make them feel guilty of a situation that was in no way deserved by them. This happens all the time to victims of mental illness, but with the added burden of shame. Considering the shocking statistic that one in four will experience some kind of mental health problem in the course of a year in the UK , why is it that we hardly hear of people suffering from mental illness? Why is it a cloud of judgment and misunderstanding still surrounds the subject? People with a mental disorder or with a history of mental health issues are continually ostracized by society. This results in it being more difficult than it already is for the mentally ill to admit their symptoms to others and to seek treatment. To towards understanding mental illness is to finally lift the stigma, and to finally let sufferers feel safe and accepted within today’s society.

    Read More

  • Mental Health: As Important as Physical Health

    977 Words  | 2 Pages

    Kessler, Chiu . et. al."The Numbers Count: Mental Disorders in America."NIMH RSS. National Institute of Mental Health , n.d. Web. 23 Apr. 2014.

    Read More

More about The Stigma of Mental Illness in Racial Minority Groups

Open Document