EAST LANSING, Mich. — Michigan State University is taking major steps toward increasing mental health awareness and resources for underrepresented communities.
The mental health crisis in our country is at an all-time high with millions of people experiencing at least one mental illness, and of that group, minority groups remain the most underrepresented.
“When we talk of mental health, we are talking about being well emotionally, and now, we know that being well mentally also has a great impact on being well physically," Dr. Farah Abbasi, assistant professor in the Department of Psychiatry at Michigan State University's College of Osteopathic Medicine said.
Abbasi explained that not only is there a stigma surrounding mental health in minority communities, but there is also a pattern of those minority communities not accessing mental health care.
“As a society, I think there is a very deep-seated stigma around mental illness. But, when we go into more minority settings or faith-based communities or ethnic minorities, we see this stigma becomes more deepened, more ingrained," said Abbasi.
Not only is there a stigma surrounding mental illness in minority communities, but there is also a noticeable trend in the rate of access as it relates to resources that these communities are engaging in.
“What we see is that these communities access mental health care three times less than the national rate,” explained Abbasi.
Moreover, the shying away of access may stem from deeper-rooted issues that minority groups commonly face.
“Immigration, integration, navigating bi-cultural identities and dealing with inter-generational trauma. All of that plays a role and intersects with your daily life and plays a big role in your mental well-being," said Abbasi.
Furthermore, knowing how different cultures perceive mental health issues is where Abbasi said we can begin in understanding how we can assist them.
"So remember how we perceive depression, how we express depression, how we are going to access care and how compliant we will be are all defined by your culture, your values and your belief system," Abbasi said.
In an effort to make mental health resources more accessible to minority communities, Michigan State University continues to take important steps such as creating resources for those who are struggling to find mental health care through diversifying its support options.
“They have become really multi-cultural and multi-linguistic. They have both training and programs, and are investing heavily to be more accessible and more acceptable," said Abbasi.
