A Newsletter of the Office of Minority Health

Mental Health and Minorities
September 1997

Mental Health and Minority Seniors

Mental Health Research Centers

What makes you feel sad? Who do you usually talk to if you have a problem? In your opinion, what are mental health problems? Interviewers posed these and other questions to African Americans, Hispanics, American Indians, and Asians across the country. The interviews were conducted during a series of focus groups sponsored by the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP). On an ongoing basis AARP works to incorporate minorities in its programs, but the focus group project marked the first time AARP set out to specifically address minority seniors and mental health, according to Betty Davis, senior program specialist in the Program Services Department at AARP. “The purpose was to explore how older people from different racial and ethnic backgrounds feel about themselves, deal with their unhappiness, and use mental health services,” Ms. Davis said. Results from the focus group are summarized in an AARP brochure entitled Mental Health Issues for Minority Seniors: Information for Service Providers and Professionals.Two divisions within AARP--the Office of Minority Affairs and the Social Outreach and Support Section--jointly developed the brochure. The brochure contains sections on each of the target groups. In the area of coping responses, turning to God was important for all four populations. But whereas Native Americans reported frequently talking to a priest about problems, African Americans were more divided in their willingness to talk to priests or ministers about personal problems. One reason cited was concern about whether problems would be kept confidential. Definitions of mental health problems also varied by population. Hispanic participants, for example, defined mental health problems as alcohol and other drug abuse. And Filipino participants considered forgetfulness and anger to be mental health problems. Up to 10 copies of Mental Health Issues for Minority Seniors are available free of charge. Write to AARP Fulfillment, 601 E St., NW, Washington, DC 20049. The order number is D15227. Other AARP brochures on mental health may also be obtained by writing the address above. The following consumer brochures are available in English and Spanish: Now Where Did I Put My Keys?, a self-help guide for understanding memory. English, D13829; Spanish, D14949. So Many of My Friends Have Moved Away and Died, a guide to making new friends. English, D13831; Spanish, D14948. I Wonder Who Else Can Help, questions and answers about counseling needs and resources. English, D13832; Spanish, D14946. If Only I Knew What to Say or Do, ideas for helping a friend in crisis. English, D13830; Spanish, D14947.

National Center for American Indian and Alaska Native Mental Health Research: The rates of post-traumatic stress disorder in American Indian and Alaska Native veterans are high, but there aren’t appropriate mental health services available for the population, according to a study conducted by the National Center for American Indian and Alaska Native Mental Health Research. The findings revealed that the current services for American Indian veterans rank low in availability, accessibility, and acceptability, said Spero Manson, PhD, director of the center. As a result of this research, the Veterans Administration is making moves to establish new veteran centers that offer culturally sensitive mental health care. Funded by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), the National Center identifies mental health problems and coordinates research projects that improve mental health services. The center is operated by the Department of Psychiatry, University of Colorado Health Sciences Center in Denver. National Research Center on Asian American Mental Health: This center, also funded by NIMH, conducts research on various Asian groups, including Koreans, Filipinos, and Southeast Asians. The center investigates mental health problems among Asians, the rates of mental disturbance, and factors that affect utilization of health services. Researchers there conducted a study looking at whether it’s better for therapists and clients to be of the same race and ethnicity. “We found that Asian clients who had Asian therapists stayed in treatment longer and were more likely to have better treatment outcomes,” said Stanley Sue, PhD, director of the center. The center is located at the University of California, Davis, Department of Psychology. African American Mental Health Research Center: The center is part of the Program for Research on Black Americans, which was established by an interdisciplinary team of social scientists. NIMH helped start the research center with the goal of studying African American mental health and evaluating the way African Americans seek help for mental illness. In 1993, the grant was expanded to study issues surrounding the mental health of children and adolescents. Also of interest to the center is the chronically mental ill in urban areas. The Program for Research on Black Americans is located at the University of Michigan, Institute for Social Research in Ann Arbor. See “Resources” section for research center addresses and phone numbers.