Mental Health System

Cultural or Ethnic Diversity Impact on a Recipient’s Response to a Crisis Responder and Mental Health Services.

Generally, members of minorities seek services from mental health providers less often than members of the larger society. There are a number of reasons for this. 

First, many people of minority have a significant mistrust of mental health services. This mistrust may be based on experiences that vary between cultures.  Groups such as Vietnamese, Laotian, Cambodian, Chechnyan, Somalian and other immigrants may have experienced imprisonment, physical abuse or assault at the hands of government agencies in their homelands. They may have witnessed brutal killings of family members in their war torn nations. They may also experience the stressors associated with acculturation.