Presentation Title

Stigmatization: Its Effects on Decision Making and the Development of Attitudes towards Mental Health and Treatment as well as the likelihood of Mental Health Treatment Seeking in Racial Minority Communities

Presenter Information

Alisa FlowersFollow

Panel Name

Inequality in the U.S. Today: Seeking Justice, Equality, Treatment, and Redemption

Location

Lecture Center 5

Start Date

3-5-2019 3:15 PM

End Date

3-5-2019 4:45 PM

Presentation Type

Oral Presentation

Academic Major

Psychology, Sociology

Abstract

Stigma exists, this we know for sure. Research shows that members of racial minority groups have significantly higher negative attitudes towards mental health treatment as well as much lower rates of actually seeking mental health treatment than members of a racial majority group. Stigma plays a huge part in these results. What we need to dive deeper into is, how large the impact of and in what ways does, stigma affect the development of negative or positive attitudes towards mental health treatment seeking and how these attitudes affect mental health treatment inquiry, specifically, in racial minority communities. This study will identify the average onset and early development of attitudes towards mental health treatment in members of minority communities as compared to the members of the majority, as well as track the severity of these attitudes towards mental health treatment overtime in order to predict the likelihood or unlikelihood of members of different racial communities to seek mental health treatment. To do so, I will be conducting a secondary source analysis in order to track common themes and trends of attitudes towards mental health as it relates to mental health treatment seeking overtime. Then, in order to track current attitudes and treatment seeking rates, I will be conducting surveys and interviews from mental health care providers. The overall purpose of this study is to give a reference point for the age in which stigma begins to affect decision making and how early the formation of negative or positive attitudes towards mental health begins as a result of stigma. With this information I hope to produce ways to hopefully prevent the early onset of negative attitudes towards mental health treatment or reverse already established negative attitudes towards mental health treatment in racial minority communities.

Select Where This Work Originated From

Honors College Thesis

First Faculty Advisor

Angie Chung

First Advisor Email

aychung@albany.edu

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May 3rd, 3:15 PM May 3rd, 4:45 PM

Stigmatization: Its Effects on Decision Making and the Development of Attitudes towards Mental Health and Treatment as well as the likelihood of Mental Health Treatment Seeking in Racial Minority Communities

Lecture Center 5

Stigma exists, this we know for sure. Research shows that members of racial minority groups have significantly higher negative attitudes towards mental health treatment as well as much lower rates of actually seeking mental health treatment than members of a racial majority group. Stigma plays a huge part in these results. What we need to dive deeper into is, how large the impact of and in what ways does, stigma affect the development of negative or positive attitudes towards mental health treatment seeking and how these attitudes affect mental health treatment inquiry, specifically, in racial minority communities. This study will identify the average onset and early development of attitudes towards mental health treatment in members of minority communities as compared to the members of the majority, as well as track the severity of these attitudes towards mental health treatment overtime in order to predict the likelihood or unlikelihood of members of different racial communities to seek mental health treatment. To do so, I will be conducting a secondary source analysis in order to track common themes and trends of attitudes towards mental health as it relates to mental health treatment seeking overtime. Then, in order to track current attitudes and treatment seeking rates, I will be conducting surveys and interviews from mental health care providers. The overall purpose of this study is to give a reference point for the age in which stigma begins to affect decision making and how early the formation of negative or positive attitudes towards mental health begins as a result of stigma. With this information I hope to produce ways to hopefully prevent the early onset of negative attitudes towards mental health treatment or reverse already established negative attitudes towards mental health treatment in racial minority communities.