Language barriers

Language barriers discourage people from seeking assistance. Providing professional interpreter services to assist with the intervention is critical.

It is generally not advisable to ask family members or friends to interpret for the crisis intervention as they are part of the person’s support system and will find it difficult to fill both roles. The recipient may also feel uncomfortable with them interpreting.  

Stigma plays a role in discomfort with mental health service providers.  Embarrassment or feelings of failure keep people from seeking assistance. This is often true on all people groups regardless of the culture they identify with. Additionally, many minorities encourage the use of family, traditional healers and informal sources of care rather than mental health services.

While crisis response services are generally provided at no cost to people in crisis, concerns about cost of the service may be a factor in comfort and use of mental health services for minorities. Minorities are less likely to have private insurance and are more likely to live in poverty than whites. Funding for services should be considered when referrals to follow-up services are made.

Clinician bias may also play a role in minorities’ hesitancy to avail themselves of mental health services. Because clinical judgment plays a very large role in the diagnosis of and services provided for mental illness, the knowledge of culturally specific behavior and manner of reporting symptoms is critical for the provision of appropriate services.  Misinterpretation can lead to over-diagnosis or inappropriate services.