Treatment-Seeking Disparity Between African Americans and Whites: Attitudes Toward Treatment, Coping Resources, and Racism

• Published in: Journal of Multicultural Counseling and Development Vol. 37; no. 2; pp. 94 - 104
• Main Author: Buser, Juleen K.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford, UK Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01.04.2009; American Counseling Association
• Subjects: African Americans; Asian Americans; Attitudes; Coping; Counseling; Counselor Training; Data collection; Disease control; Fear & phobias; Health services; Help Seeking; Illnesses; Mental Disorders; Mental Health; Mental Health Programs; National Surveys; Psychological Services; Psychology; Racial Bias; Racial differences; Racism; Suicide; Suicides & suicide attempts; White people; Whites
• ISSN: 0883-8534; 2161-1912
• DOI: 10.1002/j.2161-1912.2009.tb00094.x

African Americans seek mental health treatment at lower rates than Whites. This disparity has been attributed to African Americans' attitudes toward services, alternate coping, and differences in care. Research on microaggressions adds an important element to this literature. Including discussion of microaggressions in counseling training may illuminate subtle student biases. Los individuos Afroamericanos buscan recibir tratamientos de salud mental en un índice menor que los Blancos. Esta disparidad ha sido atribuida a las actitudes de los Afroamericanos hacia los servicios, formas de afrontamiento alternativas, y a las diferencias en la asistencia. Las investigaciones sobre microagresiones añaden un elemento importante a esta documentación. Incluir la discusión sobre microagresiones en la formación de consejeros puede iluminar los sesgos sutiles de los estudiantes.