Mental Health System

The Surgeon General’s Report on Mental Health (SGR)  states that “many members of minority groups fear or feel ill at ease with the mental health system.” This is an important fact to remember when serving people in crisis. Respect for and understanding of ethnic and racial groups as well as their histories, traditions, beliefs and value systems are helpful in any intervention.

A major finding from the SGR’s report states that, “racial and ethnic minorities bear a greater burden from unmet mental health needs and thus suffer a greater loss to their overall health and productivity.”