>> IT IS NATIONAL MINORITY MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS MONTH AND SUICIDE RATES ARE CLIMBING
AMONG YOUNG PEOPLE AND PEOPLE
OF COLOR. MINORITIES ARE LESS
LIKELY TO RECEIVE MENTAL
HEALTH CARE THAN OTHERS.
REPORTS SHOW AMONG PEOPLE WITH
MENTAL ILLNESS. 48% OF WHITE
PEOPLE RECEIVE MENTAL HEALTH
SERVICES US COMPARED 2.31% OF
BLACK PEOPLE AND 22% OF ASIAN
PEOPLE. DOCTOR DON
WITHERSPOON, AN ASSISTANT
PROFESSOR WITH THE DEPARTMENT
OF PSYCHOLOGY AT UNF JOINS ME
LIVE ON THE MORNING SHOW. SO
GOOD MORNING, DOCTOR THIS ONE.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING
HERE WITH US. MORNING. THANK
YOU FOR HAVING ME. AND I KNOW
THERE IS A CULTURAL STIGMA
AROUND MENTAL HEALTH. WHAT ARE
SOME AREAS THAT YOU THINK KEEP
MINORITIES FROM GETTING HELP?
>> SO THERE ARE SOME OF THEM.
I HAVE A HISTORY OF DISTRUST
OF THE MEDICAL SYSTEM. HISTORY
PROBLEMS WITH THE MEDICAL
SYSTEM IN GENERAL. AND THERE’S
A LITTLE BIT OF A DENIAL THAT
MENTAL HEALTH PROBLEMS EVEN
EXIST. AND SO THAT’S SOMETHING
THAT WE HAVE TO ADDRESS. AND
THEN THERE IS THIS BIG
PARTICULARLY AMERICAN
COMMUNITY, BUT NOT JUST WITH
AFRICAN-AMERICANS. THERE’S A
STIGMA ABOUT SEEKING HELP FOR
MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES AND ABOUT
AND MAYBE EVEN IF YOU ARE
SUFFERING FROM MENTAL HEALTH
ISSUE. AND NOW WE HAVE OTHER
SITE. DON’T SECOND TO YOU.
OTHER THAT ARE ALSO BARRIERS
TO CARE ARE THINGS SUCH AS
LACK OF INSURANCE OR UNDER
INSURANCE BECAUSE PEOPLE
INSURANCE TREATMENTS AND THEN
ALSO ARE THEY GETTING THE
APPROPRIATE CARE? SO GETTING
APPROPRIATE MENTAL HEALTH CARE
FROM CULTURALLY COMPETENT
PROVIDERS PROVIDERS WHO ARE
AWARE OF CULTURE THAT PATIENTS
COMING FROM AND WHAT THEY NEED
IN ORDER TO BE SUCCESSFUL IN
TREATMENT.
>> AND YOU JUST LISTED A WHOLE
BUNCH OF DIFFERENT BECAUSE I
KNOW ONLY ONE IN 3 AFRICAN
AMERICANS WHO NEED MENTAL
HEALTH. NOT GETTING THAT RIGHT
NOW. SO I KNOW YOU ARE TALKING
ABOUT INSURANCE AND OTHER
DIFFERENT FACTORS. HOW
IMPORTANT IS IT FOR PEOPLE TO
FEEL COMFORTABLE ENOUGH TO
EVEN WANT TO ACCEPT THAT HELP?
>> THAT’S A THAT’S A BIG
FACTOR. SO IF SOMEONE IS
SUFFERING FROM MENTAL HEALTH
ISSUE AND THEY’RE DENYING THAT
THEY HAVE IT ARE NOT
COMFORTABLE SPEAKING WITH
THEIR PROVIDERS WE DON’T EVEN
HAVE THE INSURANCE ISSUE. IF
WE CAN’T GET THROUGH THAT PART
RIGHT THERE. SO REDUCING
STIGMA IS IS REALLY EXCEPT
WITH MENTAL HEALTH PROBLEMS
EXIST THE OPEN AND TALKING
WITH YOUR FAMILY ABOUT WHAT’S
GOING ON WITH YOU. BUT ALSO
WHAT’S IN YOUR FAMILY HISTORY
JUST LIKE YOU WANT TO KNOW IF
YOU HAVE A FAMILY HISTORY OF
DIABETES OR HEART DISEASE THAT
GIVE A FAMILY HISTORY OF
MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES. AND SO
KIND OF STARTING THAT
CONVERSATION COMING UP WITH
YOUR WILL HOPEFULLY HELP
REDUCE SOME OF THE STIGMA. SO
AT THE SAME WE DO HAVE TO MAKE
SURE THERE ARE APPROPRIATE
TREATMENTS AND PROVIDERS
AVAILABLE ALL MINORITIES. SO
ONE THING THAT’S BEEN DONE
RECENTLY IS MORE OF A PUSH TO
TRAIN PROVIDERS TO DELIVER
CULTURALLY COMPETENT CARE. SO
PROVIDERS ARE EDUCATED IN THE
BEST WAYS TO WORK WITH ALL THE
PATIENTS THAT WE TREAT SO THAT
PATIENTS FEEL MORE COMFORTABLE
OPENING UP AND THEY COULD HAVE
A BETTER SUCCESSFUL
RELATIONSHIP.
>> AND WHAT ARE SOME THINGS WE
CAN DO IN EVERYDAY LIFE TO
ALSO REDUCE SOME OF THOSE
SEGMENTS.
>> SO WHEN THINGS WE CAN DO IS
BE OPEN ABOUT WHAT WE’RE GOING
OURSELVES AND ALSO OPEN JUST
MENTAL HEALTH IN GENERAL. SO
WHEN YOU’RE TRYING TO REDUCE
CERTAINLY ANY I THINK YOU JUST
WANT TO DO IS JUST TALK ABOUT
IT. SHINE A LIGHT ON IT LIKE
YOU GUYS ARE DOING RIGHT NOW.
THE SEGMENT. BUT WE CAN ALSO
WITH OUR FAMILIES, WITH OUR
FRIENDS. YOU CAN USE WORDS
LIKE MENTAL HEALTH. YOU CAN
TALK ABOUT DEPRESSION. ANXIETY
CAN TALK ABOUT WHAT YOU’VE
BEEN SHE HAD THIS NICE PUSH
NOW ARE A LOT OF CELEBRITIES.
MINORITY SUNNIS ARE COMING
FORWARD AND ADMITTING TO THEIR
OWN MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES AND
MAKING PUBLIC. AND THAT’S
ANOTHER WAY TO HOPEFULLY HELP
REDUCE THE STIGMA AMONG THE
COMMUNITY. YOU HEAR, YOU KNOW,
MICHELLE OBAMA CAN ABOUT WHAT
SHE’S GOING THROUGH TRASH YOU
CAN EVEN DWAYNE THE ROCK
JOHNSON WAS TALKING HIS ISSUES
THAT WILL HELP. BUT ALSO WE
OURSELVES TALKING WITH EACH
OTHER, TALKING WITH THEIR
FAMILY MEMBERS AT THE SAME
TIME. IT IS IMPORTANT WHEN
YOU’RE TALKING TO FAMILY
MEMBER OR A FRIEND WHO MAYBE
IS GOING THROUGH SOME KIND OF
MENTAL HEALTH ISSUE THAT
YOU’RE NOT JUDGMENTAL IN THE
PAST. PEOPLE HAVE MADE THE
MISTAKE OF TRYING TO BE
SUPPORTIVE OF THEIR FAMILY OR
FRIENDS STILL SAY SOMETHING
LIKE YOU’RE STRONG. YOU DON’T
NEED A THERAPIST OR YOU DON’T
NEED. YOU DON’T NEED TO TALK
TO SOMEBODY. YOU DON’T NEED
ANY MEDICATION AND YOU’RE
TRYING TO BE SUPPORTIVE. BUT
THAT RIGHT THERE KIND OF SHUTS
DOWN THE CONVERSATION. IT
SHUTS DOWN THEIR ABILITY TO
SAY TO YOU, I’M REALLY
STRUGGLING AND NEED HELP. I’M
NOT ABLE TO DO MILES. SO LET’S
NOT ACTUALLY KIND OF HURT
OURSELVES APART A COMMUNITY,
OUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY. I
SHUTTING THEM DOWN OR SUPPORT
DON’T BE JUDGMENTAL. PEOPLE
LISTENING, SUPPORT IT AND BE
OK WITH SAYING WORDS LIKE
MENTAL HEALTH DEPRESSION,
ANXIETY TO YOU NEED MORE
HEALTH, HEAVY TALK TO YOUR
DOCTOR ABOUT IT. YOU CAN HAVE
THOSE CONVERSATIONS AND REALLY
BEFORE WE WRAP, LET’S SAY
THERE IS SOMEONE WHO IS OPEN
AND READY TO RECEIVE THAT
HELP.
>> IS THERE ANY PARTICULAR
PLACE THAT YOU RECOMMEND THEM
TO START A RESOURCE TO USE TO,
TO FIND THAT PERSON WHO CAN
HELP THEM.
>> THE FIRST PLACE SO THAT WE
SAY IS TALK TO YOUR PRIMARY
CARE DOCTOR IF YOU HAVE WHEN
YOU HAVE A DOCTOR TALK TO
ABOUT THE DIABETES, ABOUT PAY
WHATEVER, WHEN THAT PERSON ASK
YOU HOW YOU’RE DOING THE
HONEST, I’M STRUGGLING. YOU
KNOW, I CAN’T SLEEP THE HONEST
ABOUT THOSE MENTAL HEALTH
SYMPTOMS BECAUSE THEY USUALLY
ASKING PEOPLE USUALLY KIND OF
DOWNPLAY IT. START THERE.
THEY’LL HAVE A FEW REFERRALS
FOR. IS NOT A LOT OF PLACES
NAMI. THE NATIONAL ALLIANCE ON
MENTAL ILLNESS IS A GREAT
WEBSITE TO FIND RESOURCES. IF
YOU IF YOU DON’T HAVE ANYTHING
ELSE, YOU CAN KIND OF START
THERE.