Disproportionality and Disparities in the Mental Health System

Alergía, M., Nakash, O., Rosen, D.C. (2014) Disproportionality and Disparities in the Mental Health System. In R. Fong, A. Dettlaff, J. James, & C. Rodriguez (Eds.), Addressing Racial Disproportionality and Disparities in Human Services (pp. 280-311). New York: Columbia University Press.

Read more here

In this chapter experienced psychologists, Rosen, Nakash, and Alergia discuss the disproportionality and disparities in the mental health system for minority groups across the nation. In the general population, less than half of individuals in need of treatment actually receive it and for ethnic minorities those numbers are substantially lower. In comparison to Whites, those who are African American, Asian American, and Latino and in need of mental health services are significantly less likely to utilize mental health services. Racial and ethnic disparities and disproportionalities in accessing quality behavioral health care have received increasing attention due to being linked to systemic and unequal economic and social conditions. Moreover, the evidence suggests that disparities are mostly exacerbated by the limited access that minorities have to the behavioral health system, the suitability of the treatments and the providers available, the structure of care provided in diverse communities of color, and the interactions with the health-care system.