It also highlights peer support as a potential remedy to the racial discrimination that is all too prevalent within the mental health system. Although there were no significant differences regarding racial concordance with Black youth, researchers found that Latinx youth who had peer specialists who were also Latinx had a higher number of annual outpatient mental health visits. Researchers also explored racial and ethnic concordance, or shared racial/ethnic identity, between peer specialists and the youth they serve. These 183 programs provided care to a total of 13,363 youth ages struggling with severe mental health issues. This gap in the research literature prompted researchers in the current study to examine how peer support impacts youth.
Participants
Higher levels of trauma exposure may have more lasting psychological impact on adolescents (Dunn et al., 2017). While the exact reason for this is unknown, the finding could speak to the genetic and contextual basis of different mental health disorders and shared chronic experiences within and across generations of families (Brave Heart, 2011; Donovan et al., 2013). Study results indicate that there are important differences and similarities among Black adolescents who are receiving MHT and those in the OT group. The model accounted for 12% of the variability in treatment disposition.
The findings showed that all ethnic minority groups were disadvantaged in terms of their internalizing problems, and Pakistanis and Black Caribbeans in terms of their externalizing problems. Finally, the data for MCS7 (where children are aged 17) were not available on the public domain at the time of this study. Systemic racism and experiences of discrimination are overwhelmingly cited as major and consistent barriers to mental https://www.safeproject.us/resource/latinx/ wellbeing in ethnic minority adults (Arday, 2018; Wallace et al., 2016). Although research suggests that equivalized income has the strongest impact on children’s mental health problems (Zilanawala et al., 2015), future research should explore the role of other markers of SES, such as the Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) and parents’ employment status.
Tips for Successful Career Talks: Turning High School Presentations into Meaningful Workforce Connections
In comparison, Hispanic (40%), Black (38%), and Asian (36%) adults were less likely to receive mental healthcare. But by raising awareness and advocating for inclusivity, you can help ensure that everyone has access to life-changing care. Access to mental health support is an ongoing nationwide issue.
Mental Health Services for Gender-Diverse and Sexual-Minority Youth
Newman et al. (2020) suggest that it is necessary to pay attention to the ‘affective dimensions of healthcare engagement’ (p.1) in order to understand how to develop inclusive healthcare for LGBTQ+ youth. There is a limited understanding of why asking for help for mental health problems is problematic for LGBTQ+ youth. Longitudinal evidence also demonstrates that in the UK, these mental health disparities start as early as 10 years old (Irish et al., 2019).
- The cultural competence framework has been operationalized in consensus health and mental health cultural competence standards, such as the Center for Mental Health Services standards.
- For instance, depression is more likely to persist in Black and Hispanic individuals, despite its lower prevalence in these minoritized ethnic groups than in white individuals.
- The fact that more than one in ten participants endorsed this level of heavy drinking is alarming, particularly given that the sample is underage and coping with various mental health challenges.
- Lastly, acculturation and school experiences were major factors at the social/cultural level that influence minority adolescent service use.