Mental Health Among Adolescents and Minorities in the Under-Served Communities

Mental health has become a prevalent issue among various groups of people. Poor mental health issues have been observed among sexual minorities, racial and gender aspects due to multiple factors such as inaccessibility of proper health care services and discrimination. There has been an increased diversification of the population, especially concerning racial and ethnic minority groups. The changes have been observed to occur besides tenacious inequalities in mental health position and mental health care for people living in poverty and countryside regions. The essay will explore various issues concerning mental health especially among adolescents and minorities in the under-served communities.

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Psychological issues thrive among adolescents. Some have mental illness while others are living with subthreshold mental misery. The high prevalence of psychological problems is unnoticed and undertreated among adolescents especially those from under-served communities (John, 2011). As such, it is apparent that mental health issues significant affects adolescents and adults in the under-served communities.

Poverty majorly causes mental health in the under-served community. Studies undertaken have depicted that lack of satisfying basic needs such as food, shelter, and employment are not satisfied resulting to individuals opting to conduct illegal activities. They thus shift to activities such as selling drugs, prostitution, and gangs to fulfill all their needs. Most minority groups face problems such as unemployment and poverty which significantly affects their mental health status as they experience stress. Lack of jobs which lead to poverty also indicates that they have little access to proper mental health treatment when it is necessary (Byck, Bolland, Dick, Ashbeck & Mustanski, 2013). Therefore, poverty forces people to indulge in illegal activities that later affects their mental health status due to stress.

On the other hand, there is a substantial lack of resources among minorities and even adolescents in the under-served communities. For the necessary community services to be maintained, it is fundamental to have the right resources. The under-served communities lack these resources meaning that they also have little access to mental health treatment when it is needed. Mental health centers and public hospitals which are defined as the safety net providers operate as the significant sources of care in vulnerable communities. However, they are usually scarce, and the little one requires massive efforts for the right form of care to be provided (Wahowiak, 2016).

Mental health has often been associated with cultural stigmas. There may be adequate resources, but the aspect of cultural stigma concerning mental health may hinder various individuals from seeking the right care when required. In a report issued by the American Psychological Association, it was found that young adults from minority communities are considerably less likely to take advantage of mental health services than their equals. Besides, the same report indicated that high educational levels increase the possibility of someone looking for mental health care. However, educational access is not equal among all communities. Most people in the under-served communities do not get to higher levels of education and are thus unlikely to seek mental health care (Dinos, 2015). Studies have further depicted that receiving mental health care or emotional issues in the under-served communities may be perceived as a weakness and even an indication that one is insane. As such, this may be attributed to lack of exposure to the right education and knowledge (Byck et al., 2013).

Social exclusion has also been another element of mental health among adolescents and minorities in the under-served communities. Individuals in the under-served communities have always had a feeling of isolation and even had a perception that they are insignificant to the agencies managed by the government. Also, most of them have felt that they are powerless in the provision of input or the needed change as well. Most of them do not trust the government agencies since they usually determine their problems without any consultation from the community. Additionally, the government agencies have made promises to deliver specific services which they failed or implemented programs that were not adequately sustained (Byck et al., 2013).

Also, some members of the under-served communities are not aware of the Mental Health Services Act or any other intervention efforts in their communities. Studies have further indicated that under-served community members are not aware of the mental health care agencies that work to develop access to and the superiority of mental health care. On the other hand, there is a general lack of adequate knowledge in the under-served communities on the signs and symptoms of mental illness leading to underutilization of services available for treatment (Sanchez et al., 2015). Furthermore, people with mental health issues in the under-served communities may not know where to go or who to talk to when experiencing mental health issues. They may also not be aware of how to receive services that are within their financial capabilities (Morelli, Zoorob & Heidelbaugh, 2017).

On the other hand, access to mental health care system has been reported to have numerous barriers. One of the common issues with the system entailed long waiting periods. Individuals had even stated that the waiting durations are usually quite long such that by the time they were offered the services, the problems they had escalated leading to the need for a high level of care such as hospitalization (Alegria, Vallas & Pumariega, 2010). Some under-served community members have also reported of being turned away from the services due to disqualification. However, some of their incomes were not enough to cater for all the required services. As such, these experiences led to the development of fatigue, frustration, and distress for these people who had loved ones suffering from mental health issues (John, 2011).

Lack of affordability is another factor that has significantly contributed to mental health issues among minorities in the under-served world. The cost of medication and treatment, visits to the doctor and hospitalization are among the issues that acted as a barrier to access to health services. Also, minorities do not have adequate time to attend appointments especially due to the challenging demands of taking care of their children and supporting employment (Sanchez et al., 2015).

Moreover, there is lack of continuity of community programs among minorities in the under-served world. Changes in funding priorities have been observed in programs that were once found in the communities with minorities. It has then led to frustration among the community services regarding the services that were sharply withdrawn without paying attention to the continuing needs of the people (Clark et al., 2013).

It is vital to note that stress has an impact on the adults and adolescents as well. Most adolescents in the under-served communities are highly exposed to factors such as violent neighborhoods, drug abuse, and poverty. They also lack access to proper forms of education and employment as compared to the other part of the community. Therefore, these adolescents have a high vulnerability of experiencing mental health issues such as depression (John, 2011).

The under-served communities are usually located in places with geographical isolation and lack of transportation. As such, these factors have limited access to these communities. There is also the absence of culturally and linguistically suitable services. Cultural incompatibility has resulted to underutilization of services by most community members. Additionally, most mental health providers located in the under-served communities do not speak the language of the clients. They also lack cultural competency. Service providers have further been observed to have difficulties comprehending the mental disorders within a cultural context. Besides, they also lack the right expertise to distribute treatment that is culturally sensitive and acceptable as well. In the end, the community members in these under-served communities tend to be frustrated due to misdiagnosis and lack of awareness on cultural issues by the health providers (Sanchez et al., 2015). It is vital to note that by not addressing the cultural issues, health care providers significantly contributed to the reluctance of community members to seek mental health care and follow up on any referrals. They did not also comply with recommendations issued regarding treatment.

Marginalization of the under-served communities has affected the adolescents. They have been observed to give up since they feel marginalized and overwhelmed as their chances to be prosperous are limited. When they watch their counterparts in the other communities, they may go into depression or isolation resulting in critical mental health issues. Also, giving up has been linked with suicide among the adolescents (Gamble & Lambros, 2014). It has been observed that initial forms of mediations in the lives of ethnic and racial minority children maximizes efficient coping when they are in these disadvantaged and highly risky environments. In the end, it may be beneficial to them concerning their future development (Alegria, Vallas & Pumariega, 2010).

Specific actions may be taken to address mental health among adolescents and minorities in the under-served communities. One of this entails developing programs that seek to address comprehensive social distresses. It has been observed that most mental health problems occur due to lack of employment, housing, and poverty among this group. Furthermore, there should be school and after-school programs that comprise mental health programs, academic help and counselors as well. Schools can be accessed easily and offer the right venue for mental health treatment and other prevention programs. Schools in under-served communities should thus be targeted as it will significantly minimize mental health problems among adolescents (Dinos, 2015).

On the other hand, mentoring groups should be developed and provide professionals and services who are in line with the community members concerning their ethnicity, age, and socioeconomic status. Besides, engaging adolescents with role models that they can relate with is a critical approach to preventing mental health issues. Moreover, support groups and group therapy that further entail programs for ethnic identity development, socialization, and cultural adjustment should be another area of focus in the under-served communities. Problems facing them should be discussed in a group setting as it is preferred in some cultures. In this way, it will minimize the stigmas linked to mental health or adjustment difficulties (Wahowiak, 2016).

Conclusion

Violence in the family setting among the under-served communities is linked to parental issues. Therefore, parenting programs should be developed to further cater to family conflict and breakup as well as intergenerational stress that contribute to mental health difficulties. Proper education concerning mental health issues should also be offered to the under-served communities. It has been observed that there is a substantial lack of awareness and comprehension of mental health problems and its involvement in under-utilization of services (Smith & Jury, 2017).

Additionally, individuals who have been involved in the juvenile and criminal justice systems have been designated to lack consistent with counselors and caring providers as well. Mental health treatmen...