Introduction
This literature review examines various issues related to misconceptions and stigma about mental illness among communities of people of color. These include the actual rates of mental illness among ethnic and racial minorities, health disparities and their specific types, prejudices, and stigma of people of color in this regard, and related sociocultural factors. This review describes the most significant research findings and the most promising methodological approaches regarding this topic. It summarizes the major themes and contributions, evaluates the current state of scientific understanding of the problem and associated gaps, and presents prospective areas for future research, including this one.
The sources are comprised of articles from peer-reviewed, credible journals collected through Google Scholar using keywords such as “mental illness,” “people of color,” “discrimination,” and “disparities.” It should be noted that the authors of these articles are unanimous that the problem is urgent and acute. All studies confirm that ethnic and racial minorities face health inequalities, underutilize medical treatment, and have misconceptions and stigma about mental illness.
Findings
It is observed that the prevalence of mental illness among people of color is at about the same level as that of whites. According to Bignall et al. (2015), this prevalence is “similar across ethnic groups” (540). Moreover, there is evidence that ethnic and racial minorities experience greater psychological stress and are more vulnerable to mental illness (Wahowiak, 2015; Wilson et al., 2018). Researchers emphasize that people of color face such types of healthcare discrimination as condescension, neglect, rudeness, devaluation of their problems, and violation of their privacy and other rights (Holley et al., 2016). There is evidence demonstrating that ethnic and racial minorities tend to view mental illness symptoms as part of normal life or attribute them to some supernatural causes (Bignall et al., 2015). People of color are less aware of the etiology and course of mental illness, have less confidence in health professionals, and underutilize modern methods of treatment (Maura & de Mamani, 2017; Wilson et al., 2018). This situation is due to a variety of sociocultural factors, including lower socioeconomic status and access to treatment for ethnic and racial minorities, as well as culturally conditioned stigma.
Generally, studies confirm the existence of misconceptions and stigma about mental illness among people of color and partially explain their origins and causes. The studies of Bignall et al. (2015) and Wilson et al. (2018) are particularly significant, as they describe in more detail the cognitive representations and attitudes and the dysfunctional behavioral patterns associated with treatment underutilization. Given the research questions raised, a qualitative research methodology appears to be the most promising and effective in identifying specific misconceptions and stigmas affecting behavior. Most of the findings mentioned were obtained using qualitative methods, including in-depth interviews.
Conclusions
It may be concluded that the studies have unequivocally confirmed the existence of this problem, have studied in great detail the causes and conditions in which it exists, and have described specific health disparities. Despite this, research into specific misconceptions and stigma and description of their cognitive structure still represents a research gap and can provide significant explanatory potential. Initial steps had already been taken in that direction, but more thorough research is required to propose improved recommendations. Further studies should be based on a qualitative methodology aimed at identifying specific characteristics of misconceptions and stigma that lead to mistrust in the medical services and treatment underutilization. This research project is a continuation of the mentioned investigation efforts aimed at filling the specified knowledge gap.
References
Bignall, W. J. R., Jacquez, F., & Vaughn, L. M. (2015). Attributions of mental illness: an ethnically diverse community perspective. Community Mental Health Journal, 51(5), 540-545.
Holley, L. C., Tavassoli, K. Y., & Stromwall, L. K. (2016). Mental illness discrimination in mental health treatment programs: intersections of race, ethnicity, and sexual orientation. Community Mental Health Journal, 52(3), 311-322.
Maura, J., & de Mamani, A. W. (2017). Mental health disparities, treatment engagement, and attrition among racial/ethnic minorities with severe mental illness: a review. Journal of Clinical Psychology in Medical Settings, 24(3-4), 187-210.
Wahowiak, L. (2015). Addressing stigma, disparities in minority mental health: access to care among barriers. The Nation’s Health, 45(1), 1-20.
Wilson, S. L., Gaunt, C. J., Jones, K. N., & Solomon, C. (2018). Correlation between perception and the underutilization of mental health services in the treatment of depression amongst African Americans. EC Psychology and Psychiatry, 7, 263-269.