Reducing barriers to help-seeking in ethnic minorities in the USA: a call for increased adoption of alternative mental health approaches
| Date | 12 July 2024 |
| Pages | 22-30 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/MHSI-05-2024-0071 |
| Published date | 12 July 2024 |
| Subject Matter | Health & social care,Mental health,Social inclusion |
| Author | Francis Onyemaechi Okafor |
Reducing barriers to help-seeking in
ethnic minorities in the USA: a call for
increased adoption of alternative mental
health approaches
Francis Onyemaechi Okafor
Abstract
Purpose –The purpose of thispaper is to draw attention to inherent barriers to help-seeking,particularly
those caused by increased globalization and diversification of our societies. It explores the
underutilization ofmental health resources by ethnic minority groupswhile highlighting some alternative
treatmentapproaches with growing evidence bases.
Design/methodology/approach –Using a literature review and comparative analysis of relevant
studies,the author makes a case for increasedadoption of alternative therapies;citing the evidence base
for the most promisingtreatments which include exercisetherapy, mindfulness-based therapies,yoga for
depression and spirituality-based therapies. It further compares the efficacy and advantages of these
therapieswith common mainstream therapies.
Findings –In comparison, some alternative treatment modules are just as effective, if not better than
traditional, mainstream therapies for certain ailments. In conclusion, the paper calls for increased
research on the efficacy of alternativetherapies; and beckons service providers to explore the potential
for these therapies to bridge the gap in treatment towardsa more inclusive and client-centered mental
healthcare.
Originality/value –The author provides a plethora of thought-provoking ideas in this article. For
instance, he tendereda different outlookon barriers to treatment by differentiating between accessibility
challenges versusunderutilization. He also highlightsthe critical impact of Eurocentrism as a contributor
to barriersto treatment utilization.
Keywords Treatment barriers, Help-seeking, Alternative treatments, Ethnic minorities,
Underutilization, Efficacy comparison, Client-centered care
Paper type Viewpoint
Introduction
In recent years, the world has witnessed tremendous progress in the diagnosis and
treatment of mental health challenges, thanks to the development and advancement of
highly effective treatment options. Nevertheless, despite the progress that has been made,
the treatment gap for mental disorders remains remarkably high, especially for ethnic
minority groups (Kim and Omizo, 2003). This gap is in part, a consequence of the rampant
globalization and diversificationof our communities and institutions which has made it more
difficult for current treatment models of mental health care to adequately address the
complex challenges of mental illness(Lake and Turner, 2017). The underutilization of mental
health resources by minorities has long been a concern for practitioners and researchers
(Alegria et al., 2002;Garland et al., 2000). In their four-year longitudinal study (Mulia et al.,
2014) reported that when compared with whites, members of racial-ethnic minority groups
Francis Onyemaechi
Okafor is based at the
Office of the Dean of
Students, Texas Tech
University, Lubbock, Texas,
USA.
Disclosure statements: The
author has no relevant financial
or non-financial interests to
disclose.
Funding: The authors declare
that no funds, grants or other
support were received during
the preparation of this
manuscript.
PAGE 22 jMENTAL HEALTH AND SOCIAL INCLUSION jVOL. 29 NO. 1 2025, pp. 22-30, ©Emerald Publishing Limited, ISSN 2042-8308 DOI 10.1108/MHSI-05-2024-0071
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