Introduction
The minority groups have a high risk of getting mental health issues. Their tough environment predisposes them to issues of stress and anxiety. Their culture is built on individuals struggling against mental health issues without seeking professional help. Members of these groups are not used to speaking out if they face psychological problems. Many individuals among the minority groups suffer from depression, but they are yet to share this information with any person. Having anxiety often leads to stress which might interrupt sleep patterns. Stress might also lead to depression which is the main factor that contributes to high suicidal rates within these communities. It is critical to identify all the mental health challenges within minority groups. The main issue leading to mental health issues among the minority groups is discrimination (Lee et al: 2021). The unfair treatment of all members of these groups has resulted in stress. The schools, the justice system, and the community discriminate against them. They are often anxious regarding their low living standards and inadequate opportunities in the country. Members of these minority groups include; black Americans, Latin, the natives, and Spaniards. They are also more likely to get incarcerated since the justice system does not emphasize their protection. The members of minority groups suffer more from mental health challenges than the rest. However, several factors lead to mental health problems for these communities. The resolution of these issues and provision of better health care will help curb the cases of mental health issues.
People of minority groups have similar characteristics that increase their likelihood of suffering from mental health issues. Society is not emphasizing the significance of stopping discrimination or inequity cases towards minorities. However, proper care and empowerment of these groups will help control and prevent mental health issues.
Mental illness refers to all the issues that might hinder a person from processing emotions or behaving normally. The members of minority groups live in an environment that does not protect them from mental illnesses. Their environment is filled with factors that result in distress. Their emotions are also negative on many occasions due to their lack of amenities or support from the community. Their culture is based on individuals tackling their problems as the government often fails at helping them. Therefore, many minority members will not seek medical help regarding mental issues. Their cultures are not aware of the serious effects that might arise due to mental health constraints. From a young age, minorities are exposed to discrimination in almost all aspects of life. Schools are also another reason for their anxiety (OGUNDARE: 2010). Many students of minority groups get sentenced through the juvenile system for minor crimes. They grow to feel the neglect and pressure from society and the government. Most of these minority members lack employment opportunities as they do not have qualifications. However, they cannot access high education due to a lack of funds from the government. It is important to identify the main causes of mental health issues within the minority groups to resolve the problem.
Members of the minority group are affected by inequity. The system is not built to protect them from discrimination. The current system excludes them from attaining the same treatment standards even though they are citizens. It is difficult for the minority members to quality higher education than the majority. Their chances are scarce, and paying for these opportunities is also difficult. This severe exposure to discrimination affects them from their childhood. Most of them internalize their pain which makes them grow with stigma. Their culture is less aware of mental health problems or the symptoms, so they grow with the condition. Parents within the minority groups work for many hours, which prevent them from noting their children’s mental health issues or symptoms. The government has failed in creating awareness and health care facilities within the communities of minority groups. This makes it difficult for the children suffering from mental health issues to get help at early stages. Failure to treat mental health problems in young children from the minority group leads to many problems in adulthood. It makes it difficult to care for their communities leading to crime. Many of them reflect the stigma they received from the community towards their surroundings during adulthood.
Culture and gender roles contribute to high cases of mental health problems within the members of the minority groups. The men are brought up believing that sharing their problems makes them look weak. Therefore, they are reluctant to seek medical advice concerning mental health. Many opt to fall into drug abuse, resulting in substance addiction. Society is not keen on addressing the effects of mental health problems. Women from minority groups have more stress coping with the challenges in their lives. They are more likely to feel sadness which can result in depression (Lee et al: 2021). The cultures of minority groups make their mental health an individual problem. Therefore, the affected people are afraid to discuss their challenges, especially with an expert. These cultural factors continue to cause mental health issues to the members of minority groups.
Lack of awareness contributes to increased mental health problems within the minority groups. Many people lack knowledge concerning the effects and existence of mental health conditions. Members of these groups are not willing to seek medical help since they o not view mental health as an important aspect of their lives. Many adults and also children from these groups suffer from mental health unawareness. They do not know the symptoms or impacts that result from mental health problems. The community has also failed in emphasizing the importance of addressing this issue. Schools should play a role in identifying students suffering from mental health challenges. However, the schools are also reluctant to solve these issues since they often affect students from minority groups. Victims of this challenge fear stigmatization if they share their problems with the community or fellow students (Pisaniak, Zoladz, Tarczon, & Ozga: 2021). The numbers of people from minority groups who seek health care regarding mental health are few. Most members believe that mental health issues occur and disappear with time. Despite high mental health issues, these members have the lowest likelihood of visiting health care facilities. They are unaware of the serious health risks involved with mental health problems. The government needs to increase awareness regarding mental health, especially in minority communities. People need to know about the prevention and control of mental health problems to help control this issue.
Drug abuse is another cause of mental health issues within minorities. These groups use drug abuse as an escape mechanism to cope with stress. However, the effects of this action have detrimental effects. The drugs affect their mental health causing more anxiety or depression. Some of the drugs abused have serious negative effects on their bodies. Excessive alcohol abuse is among the drugs that affect the brain cells leading to low productivity and mental health problems. These groups abuse drugs rather than visiting a healthcare facility due to poverty and lack of awareness. Their assumption of dealing with stress using drugs results in more problems for their health. Members of the minority groups are at risk of using addictive substances. Their mental health is among the factors that lead to drug abuse. Most of these individuals turn to drugs to cope with depression. However, this offers a semi-permanent solution with severe effects on their health. The control and prevention of mental health problems will also help reduce the rate of substance abuse within the members of the minority groups. The minority group members cannot access quality health care for mental health problems. Their communities lack enough facilities that can address this issue. They also lack money to pay for mental health care services. It is difficult for minorities to afford quality health care due to poverty.
Mental health care is an important aspect of health care for all people. However, the minority groups have been neglecting this problem resulting in severe effects on their health. Therefore it is important to change their perception of this issue to help them deal with it. There are several ways to reduce mental health problems among minority groups. It is crucial to create awareness through training and campaigns. Society should also change its view regarding equal treatment for the society members. The government should also increase healthcare facilities to assist mental health patients. Implementation of such steps can help the community deal with the issue of mental health problems.
It is important to create awareness concerning mental health. Many minority embers suffer from mental health and do not seek treatment. They fail to understand the severe impact mental problems might have if not treated. If society and the government create awareness, then the victims can seek help in the health care facilities. The government needs to train medical personnel on the issue of mental health regarding different ethnic groups. The government needs to focus more on identifying young children suffering from the condition and help them. Creating awareness even at schools will help teachers identify all student victims and refer them to medical help (Tyerman, patoyirta, & Celestini: 2021). The government should also set up mental health care programs for students and adults. It is important to ensure that all people are aware of the causes of mental health problems. People need to earn the symptoms of these problems to seek medical help. Control at early stages is easier than treating the problem when it worsens. The government should also teach people how to relate and care for mental health victims to prevent cases of stigmatization. The campaigns should highlight the importance of visiting healthcare if individuals suspect mental health symptoms. They should also highlight the effects of failing to get treatment for mental health and the accompanying effects. The creation of awareness should also be accompanied by the establishment of mental health care programs that assist in treating the condition.
Society needs to stop discrimination against minority groups. Many members of the minority groups have experienced stress due to discrimination. If society starts to treat the minority members equally, they can feel compassion rather than fear and exclusion. The feeling of inefficiency and neglect are among the emotions that lead to stress. The minority group members are often sad since they feel hated due to discrimination. Their lives are centered on crime, fear, and poverty, which cause stress and anxiety. Discrimination affects mental health victims severely. They become poor at socialization as they are often stigmatized. Society needs to care for and support all mental health victims regardless of their ethnic groups. It is also important to treat them with equity to have equal opportunities in their lives. Society needs to support men from minority ethnic groups. The cultures that prevent these men from seeking medical help or sharing their mental problems should also be stopped. Some cultures require these men to act tough and perform crimes to belong with the other men. However, such cultures lead to stress which affects the mental health of many victims. If the society adapts equity treatment for all community members, mental health issues will reduce among the minority ethnic groups (Sue, Fujino, Hu, Takeuchi & Zane: 1991). Family plays a major role in controlling or preventing mental health problems. The families need to identify when their members suffer from mental diseases. They should also advise and support the victim searching for medical help. The parents should be very keen on noticing symptoms of mental health problems in their children. They should also ensure that their children access quality medical help if they observe any signs of mental health problems. Families that are supportive of each other translate to better mental health. Several organizations are helping with mental health care. These organizations need to focus on the minority groups as they are the most affected.
In summary, mental health is an important aspect of our health. Every person needs to have treatment if they have symptoms of mental health problems. Members of the minority groups are at a higher risk of getting mental health challenges. They do not know about the prevention, control, or treatment of mental health problems. Their lives are faced with many factors that contribute to mental health problems. The government and society have been failing in offering solutions to their challenges. Most of these victims fail to seek medical advice due to their cultures. They also fail to identify the symptoms of mental health problems which put them at more risk. Therefore, it is important to create more awareness regarding mental health issues and their treatment. Minorities need to be educated on the relevance of seeking medical help for mental health rather than abusing other drugs. Society needs to change its perception as well. It should promote fair treatment to stop discrimination which is among the main contributing factors of stress and anxiety among minorities. The government should provide training to the medical staff regarding the facial treatment of minorities concerning mental health. The government needs to provide more health facilities with treatment services for mental health issues. These facilities should also be affordable even to the low-income population. The mental health of many minority groups’ members faces risks of deteriorating if the issue is not addressed. However, implementing the control and prevention measures will help reduce these cases within the members of minority groups.
REFFERENCES
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