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Last Reviewed:
June 5, 2007
Content Source:
Office of Minority Health & Health Disparities (OMHD) |
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Eliminate Disparities
in Mental Health
Mental Disorders
are common in the United States
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1 in 2 Americans has
a diagnosable mental disorder each year, including |
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44 million adults |
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13.7 million children |
Mental Disorders
are disabling
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Mental disorders are as disabling
as cancer or heart disease in terms of premature death and lost
productivity |
Research has
improved our ability to recognize, diagnose, and treat conditions
effectively
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80 to 90 percent of mental disorders are
treatable using medication and other therapies |
Of those with a
diagnosable mental disorder...
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Fewer than half of adults get
help |
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Only one-third of children get
help |
Suicide as a
Public Health Problem
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Suicide is the 8th leading cause
of death in the U.S. |
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81 Americans die by suicide each
day |
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Since 1980, suicide has doubled
among young black males in America |
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80 to 90 percent of people who die by
suicide are suffering from a diagnosable mental illness |
African Americans
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More likely to experience a
mental disorder than their white counterparts |
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Less likely to seek treatment |
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When they do seek treatment, they
are more likely to use the emergency room for mental health care,
and they are more likely than whites to receive inpatient care |
| For More Information |
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SAMHSA Surgeon General's Report: Mental Health Fact
Sheet
African Americans
http://www.mentalhealth.samhsa.gov/cre/fact1.asp |
Hispanics
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Rate of mental illness tends to
be similar to that among non-Hispanic whites |
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But, Hispanic women tend to
suffer from depression more often than Hispanic men |
| For More Information |
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SAMHSA Surgeon General's Report: Mental Health Fact
Sheet
Latinos / Hispanic Americans
http://www.mentalhealth.samhsa.gov/cre/fact3.asp |
Asian American/Pacific Islanders
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Only 25 percent as likely as whites and
50 percent likely as African Americans and Hispanics to seek outpatient
care and are less likely than whites to receive inpatient care |
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When they do seek care, they are
more likely to be misdiagnosed as "problem-free" |
| For More Information |
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SAMHSA Surgeon General's Report: Mental Health Fact
Sheets
Asian Americans/Pacific Islanders
http://www.mentalhealth.samhsa.gov/cre/fact2.asp |
American
Indians/Alaska Natives
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Appear to suffer
disproportionately from depression and substance abuse |
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Overly represented in in-patient
care as compared to whites, with the exception of private
psychiatric hospitals |
| For More Information |
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SAMHSA Surgeon General's Report: Mental Health Fact
Sheet
Native American Indians
http://www.mentalhealth.samhsa.gov/cre/fact4.asp |
Barriers to Care
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Income |
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Managed Care, Medicare/Medicaid |
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Stigma |
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Consumers unappreciative of
treatment |
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Health care providers unaware of
treatments |
Vision for the
Future
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Increase public awareness of
effective treatments:
Overall quality of life improves tremendously when a
mental
disorder is diagnosed early and treated
appropriately |
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Ensure the supply of mental
health services and providers:
Parity in the way we provide services
Community-based approaches
Culturally competent physicians
Facilitate entry into treatment
Reduce financial barriers to treatment |
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Tailor treatments to age, gender,
race and culture |
| "The breach between what we know
and what we do is lethal." |
|
Kay Redfield
Jamison
Night Falls Fast |
Other Resources:
Source:
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