Existent Healthy Disparities in African Americans - Research Paper Example

? African-Americans: Existent healthy disparities African-Americans: Existent healthy disparities Introduction There exist limitations in regards to traditional/classical psychological approaches and theories as pertaining to the psychology of African-Americans. Most of these limitations emanate from the Euro-centric ideals, philosophies and perspectives as espoused in existent literature, which are more often than not biased towards people of African descent. Various aspects are hence skewed, as pertaining to such spheres as education, research, mental/psychological health, and identity development/congruence, and it is upon the mental/psychological health arena, which this paper will delve primarily into. As is known, Black/African-Americans are composite of the existent American ‘minorities’, and hence are prone to different stereotyping and discrimination amongst other negative effects/ influences. According to the American Psychiatric Association, the existent physical and mental health disparities between existent ‘minority ethnic groups’ and the primarily Caucasian Americans of European descent, are fundamentally rooted in existent social contexts (Aronson, 2013). Existent American social contexts These contexts, primarily traceable to historical events and experiences, continue to impact negatively on the existent American society, the results being majorly disastrous to the socio-economic and political aspects of the nation. Stereotype threat pertains to the unlikable psychological experience of tackling existent negative stereotypes about gender, race, social status, sexual orientation and ethnicity. Contemporary literature, is of the view that this experience (of stereotype threat), can and in fact, does impair such population’s intellectual functioning, in their school and test performance, and later socio-economic roles, as future professionals and citizens of the American society. The Stereotype Threat Theory hence, provides requisite avenues towards understanding and thus reducing the existent negative health consequences because of interracial interactions. This is especially true as pertaining to the existent, discriminated ‘ethnic minorities’ to which African Americans belong to (Carpenter, 2002). The aforementioned stereotype threat may be defined as ‘the situational predicament, in which various individuals risk confirming existent negative stereotypes as pertaining to their ethnic affiliation. Hence, it is the resultant sense in which people assume that social judgment (of such persons) is based on negative stereotypes about their ethnic grouping, as opposed to their own personal merit. Accordingly, due to the above, the existent American ‘minorities’ are poor, thus perform poorly in the academic/ intellectual, and career/professional arenas. Through its provision of requisite knowledge, as pertaining to negative stereotypes, in addition to existent devalued social identities on a population’s sense of belonging, engagement, self-control and performance, it therefore seeks to provide means towards countering and mitigating such negative effects and resultant outcomes (Carpenter, 2002). Statistical information present African Americans, estimated at around 34 million in total, have a big chunk living in poverty (22%) compounding such individuals’ risk of mental/psychological health illnesses. This is due to the existent over-representation of such individuals in America’s existent homeless populations, incarcerated individuals, victims and perpetrators of violent crime (serious), and of young children in either child welfare systems or foster care. Accordingly, APA statistics avail data that 40% of youth in America’s criminal justice system, in addition to 45% children under foster care are African Americans (APA, Monitor on Psychology 2005). Thus, cases of negativism, aggression, isolation and fighting are prevalent amongst this group. Of those exposed to violence, 25% are likely to experience Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), with this African American population twice as likely as American non-Hispanic whites to suffer from Schizophrenia (United States Department of Health and Human Services, 2005). In addition, this ethnic grouping is likely to have diabetes, die of stoke because of heart disease, and other illnesses, which are significantly influenced by the existent socio-economic contexts. Unfortunately, with the above said, literature exists which shows that African Americans do receive considerably less treatment for such illnesses and effects. Indeed, an analysis by the U.S. Census Bureau data avails to the fact that in the year 2005, African Americans were 7.3 times more likely to live in neighborhoods exhibiting high poverty levels with little or no access to requisite mental health services. Furtherance is the fact that 25% of African Americans are not insured, and hence are most likely to utilize either emergency or primary care providers/ specialists for their treatment (United States Department of Health and Human Services, 2005). Unfortunately, these professionals do lack in both requisite equipment and proper training in the diagnosis and hence treatment of existent behavioral and mental health problems (United States Department of Health and Human Services, 2005). Means/avenues, measures and strategies of change It is critical that more culturally competent psychologists be trained and availed to the general population especially to ethnic minority groups. According to the 2006 American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, only 2% of all psychologists in the U.S. are African American (Johnson, 2004). Therefore, an increase in both state and federal funding and training of African American psychologists among other specialists, would eventually aid in the enhancement of broader treatment, as minority specialists are more likely to treat minority patients, with greater and effective results. Through the aforementioned funding towards training of extra African American specialists, would significantly aid in the overall decrease of existent stigma, while at the same time encouraging many more ‘minorities’ patients seek behavioral and mental health care Such ‘minority’ psychologists are hence able to utilize effectively their knowledge towards what best resonates with their fellow African American patients, and thus increase levels of awareness as well as the provision of culturally competent services, which are tailor-made for such populations’ individual needs/requirements. Above all else, would be the need for the greater American society in general, to dynamically shift its existent racial discrimination ideals and perspectives, which would consequently result to better understanding and hence greater tackling of existent socio-economic issues prevalent in the nation. Better equity, in terms of state services, career choice, employment opportunities, education and a shift in the general American psyche, would greatly aid in the transformation of the society as a whole (Johnson, 2004). In conclusion, though the above are critical towards the betterment of African Americans’ health and wellbeing, it is the existent means/ avenues utilized by African Americans towards coping with the prevailing socio-economic contexts, which should be primarily addressed. As such, their ‘coping strategies’ (self-medication) through drug and alcohol abuse, sporadic violence and crime, in addition to, their eating ‘comfort foods’, should be addressed as such avenues instead of aiding in their betterment, only further compound existent problems and the American society’s long-held beliefs/ perspectives and stereotypes. References Aronson, J. B. (2013). Unhealthy interactions: The role of stereotype threat in health disparities. American Journal of Public Health: Vol. 103(1) , 50-56. Carpenter, S. (2002). What can resolve the paradox of mental health disparities: A first-of-its- kind national survey promises to shed new light on ethnic and racial health disparities. American Psychological Association: Vol. 33(4) , 46-52. Johnson R. L., (2004). Patient race/ethnicity and quality of patient?physician communication during medical visits. American Journal of Public Health: 94(12) , 2084-2090. United States Department of Health and Human Services (2005). HHS Fact Sheet: Minority Health Disparities At a Glance. New York: United States Department of Health and Human Services. Read More