Mental Illness: An Equal Opportunity Health Issue
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July 15, 2010
CONCORD, N.H. - July is National Minority Mental Health Month. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, one in four people suffer from some form of mental illness.
Mental health issues do not discriminate when it comes to race, gender or income level, says Richard Duran, executive director of the New Hampshire Minority Health Coalition. Duran notes the state has seen an influx of refugees and immigrants in recent years from places like Iraq and Africa - and he points to many hurdles in those communities in terms of connecting to mental health services.
"They have difficulties getting help, especially due to language barriers. On the opposite side, our organizations, our facilities, are not prepared to deal with that; very few agencies have interpreters in-house."
Duran says his agency has several folks who are bilingual, but many in the state do not. That is why his agency has partnered with NAMI-New Hampshire to begin the "Prayer, Compassion and Unity Campaign." It will reach out to various places of worship around the state to encourage dialogue among residents about mental health and to connect people to appropriate mental health services. He says minorities in general tend to see the church as a trusted and safe environment, and will often turn to their faith leaders for advice and help.
Bernice Lopez with NAMI-New Hampshire says that in addition to language barriers, many of the state's diverse communities face a host of other challenges, from lack of insurance to cultural issues.
"It's so stigmatized. When people may be feeling depressed or down, in certain cultures that may be associated with just being weak."
Lopez says education plays the biggest role when it comes to mental health issues. She says letting people know that it is indeed an illness - not a flaw - is a crucial component in getting people to seek the help they need.