Arizona Republic Examines Mental Health Care for Hispanics
The Arizona Republic on Aug. 19 examines the lack of mental health services available to Hispanics in the Southwest Valley of Arizona. As many as 160,000 Hispanics may require services, but existing services "wouldn't even begin to cover" the need. For example, only 12 of the 380 members of the Arizona Psychiatric Society speak Spanish. National studies show that mentally ill Hispanics are placed in jails or substance abuse treatment programs at "higher-than-expected" rates because it is often the only way they can receive necessary mental health services, the Republic reports. The lack of mental health resources for Hispanics stems not from a "lack of interest," but rather a lack of funds, according to mental health advocates. Officials at both the federal and local levels are beginning to examine solutions. Michael Zent, CEO of ValueOptions, a company that contracts with the state to provide mental health services to low-income residents, said efforts are underway to increase the number of Hispanic children enrolled in Medicaid. In addition, government funds will be used for purchasing new computer and phone systems for "minority-focused" mental health agencies, funding pay differentials for ValueOptions' Spanish-speaking employees and offering $500 incentives to agencies to hire bilingual staff members. Meanwhile, on a national level, the Bush administration has created the New Freedom Commission on Mental Health, which has declared mental health services for minorities a "top priority," and the Institute for Mental Health Research next year will host a national forum on mental health care for minorities (Snyder/Steckner, Arizona Republic, 8/19). In addition, the presidential commission has begun studying how to provide "culturally relevant" mental health care for Latinos and other minorities (Steckner/Snyder, Arizona Republic, 8/19).
Ethnopsychiatry
In a related article, the Arizona Republic examines the "growing field" of ethnopsychiatry, in which researchers examine "how cultures shape mental illness" (Snyder, Arizona Republic, 8/19). The complete article is available online.
