Conversations in Your Community

Some participants reflected on the lessons that could be learned between communities, or between different generations within a single community, through the MMMV program. Participants appreciated that MMMV allowed them the space to learn about mental health and wellbeing without being pressured into doing things a specific way. The workshops focused on the experiences of community members and allowed participants to share their personal thoughts and opinions without judgement. MMMV is culturally relevant and respectful, providing a safe and collaborative space for learning, sharing ideas and developing skills. Interview participants had experienced multiple elements of the MMMV program, including attending a DoNOHarm and/or Story Crafting workshop, developing and/or delivering a community event or resource or participating in an event. Participants included seven MMMV program participants and two MIEACT interns from diverse communities who worked on the MMMV project.

Shift #5: Political and Social Movements

Dell has supported my passion for making a difference in the community by giving me both the platform and the flexibility to get involved. Another issue is that poor physical health affects mental health, and minorities tend to have higher rates of chronic physical illness, which is often a risk factor for disorders such as depression and anxiety. This is particularly important because mental illnesses cannot simply be ignored and left untreated — doing so significantly impacts a person’s quality of life and can cause severe distress and secondary health effects.

Cultural factors that influence treatment processes and outcomes continue to become a main focus of mental health treatment research for ethnic minority clients. Recent studies suggest that racial/ethnic minority clients continue to perceive mental health problems differently than members of the majority group, which may influence their help-seeking behavior. The research underscores how various aspects mapping onto culture, even physical characteristics, can affect mental health problems or outcomes. The authors posit that indigenous ethnoracial features served as a proxy for cultural pride and were more salient for adolescents who were recent immigrants or had closer ties to their Mexican cultures 10•.

Improving Access to Care

However, this prevailing approach must encapsulate the rich diversity of perspectives and beliefs of different cultural communities. We tend to approach physical and mental health as an objective concept – governed by evidence and science. Hospital admissions related to mental health disorders increased only modestly during this period (1.4-fold), but these Mental Health Podcast RSS Feed data point to the enormous burden on US hospital systems presented by the increased methamphetamine use — a phenomenon that differentially affects North America. The authors report a 10.5-fold increase in mental health disorder-related hospital admissions with concurrent methamphetamine use. With so much scrutiny in recent years on overdose deaths, rising stimulant prescriptions and mental health diagnoses, hospital admissions data can often provide insights into current versus previous timepoints in an epidemiological landscape.

“On the flip side, my friends were incredibly supportive and I was very open with them about my mental health and going to therapy. Negative attitudes or beliefs about people with mental health illnesses are prevalent in the U.S. and affect certain groups more than others. Cultural differences can also influence people’s beliefs about the causes of mental illness. In conclusion, starting a conversation about mental health requires thoughtfulness and sensitivity. Bringing up the topic during a shared activity can create a relaxed environment for discussing mental health. This method can be effective when you and the person you’re speaking with both know someone who has been open about their mental health.

• BIPOC individuals often navigate distinct, overlapping barriers, which are shaped by culture, finances, and history.
• Some may prefer to handle their mental health symptoms such as depression or anxiety through their religious leader.
• These outcomes are encouraged by the vacuum which gets created by a reductionist view of mental health.
• Now I think I need to talk to my counselor.” We walked over together and made sure they were connected to support.
• These programs are designed to bring small audiences into direct positive contact with people living with mental illness, providing a platform to share experiences and educate the audience on what it is like to live with a mental illness to promote help-seeking (Mental Illness Education ACT, 2022).

From low self-esteem to workplace discrimination, people we know and love deal with the impacts of mental health stigma every day. In addition, our care includes supplementary services such as case management, supportive housing, homeless services, residential services, outpatient DBT treatment, and more. Cultural stigma can lead to individuals suffering in silence, fearing judgment, and experiencing worsening mental health, isolation, or suicide. We will emphasize the importance of understanding cultural nuances, fostering trust, and promoting cultural competency in mental health practice. Finally, we will explore strategies for mental health professionals to effectively engage with clients from diverse cultural backgrounds. We will examine how different cultures interpret and perceive mental health conditions, focusing on examples such as depression and anxiety.