Executive Summary Contents

red bullet Summary
red bullet Main Findings
red bullet Main Message
red bullet Personal Health Recommendations
red bullet Organization of Supplement and Major Topics Covered
red bullet Chapter Summaries & Conclusions
red bullet References
red bullet Report Home Page
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Organization of Supplement and Major Topics Covered

The first chapter reviews the core messages of the original Surgeon General's Report on Mental Health. It also covers scope and terminology, the overall public health approach, and the science base for this Supplement. Chapter 2 lays the foundations for understanding the relationships among culture, society, mental health, mental illness, and mental health services. Chapters 3-6 provide information about each of the four major racial and ethnic minority groups, and Chapter 7 concludes with promising courses of action to reduce disparities and improve the mental health of racial and ethnic minorities.

Each chapter concerning a racial or ethnic minority group follows a common format. The chapter begins with the group's history in the United States, which is central to understanding contemporary ethnic identities, adaptive traditions, and health. Similarly, each chapter describes the group's demographic patterns, including their family structure, income and education, and health status. These patterns reflect the group's history, and they are relevant for understanding that group's needs for mental health services. The chapter then reviews the available scientific evidence regarding the need for mental health services (as measured by prevalence), the availability, accessibility, and utilization of services, and the appropriateness and outcomes of mental health services.

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