Language Barriers
What could the effect of a language barrier be on mental health? Free response
Potential answer: A language barrier could negatively impact an individual's mental health by creating a sense of isolation and disconnection.
True or false: All racial and ethnic groups have the same amount of health insurance. There are no variations among different groups.
False: there are notable variations in the percentage of individuals that have health insurance. As a result, groups that are disproportionately and negatively affected may not access the healthcare system as frequently
Define "stigma" as it relates to mental health.
*General definition: A mark of disgrace or a negative perception associated with the topic of mental health problems and the process of diagnosing, treating and openly discussing mental health disorders.
Choose between options in the parentheses:
Feeling pulled at the intersection of two identities, cultures, or systems of belief can generally lead to (increased/decreased) feelings of discomfort and insecurity and (increased/decreased) sense of mental health.
Increased, decreased
Fill in the parentheses: More specialized and culturally competent healthcare providers are generally found in (urban/rural) areas.
Urban areas
Describe a time you witnessed or experienced a language barrier in the healthcare system
Participants response must describe an example of a language barrier
More or Less: Underutilization of the healthcare system by marginalized groups could make them (more/less) vulnerable to adverse mental health impacts.
More
True or false: Only 1 in 5 racial minorities with a symptom of a psychological disorder approach a doctor.
True
Define "shame" with respect to culture, belonging, and mental health.
*General definition: Shame is the universal emotion shared by human beings in social groups to prevent being removed from the social group and maintain social and cultural inclusion. Shame or isolation experienced by individual members of a group can weaken their mental well-being and sense of cultural identity.
Do migrant men, women, and children experience higher or lower levels of social integration and ties compared to their U.S.-born counterparts?
According to Viruell-Fuentes et al, US-born Latinos maintained a significant advantage in social ties over immigrants regardless of length of time in the USA (for informal social integration, network diversity, and network size).
List 3 or more instances when language barriers might be relevant to mental health
Potential examples:
Doctor's office
Schools
Emergency room
Therapy session
Humanitarian aid work
Urgent care settings and clinics
What is the Affordable Care Act and when was it originally enacted?
The Affordable Care Act (ACA) is a comprehensive reform of the law enacted in 2010 that intends on shortening the gap surrounding health insurance by increasing coverage for the uninsured.
Is social stigma regarding mental health higher or lower in urban areas compared to rural areas?
Social stigma surrounding depression is generally lower in urban areas compared to rural areas
What can feel complicated about integrating one's culture of origin with an American identity?
*Many answers are okay. Everyone's experiences are different. Some people might feel like they don't completely fit into either culture, or like they have to switch between cultures.
How does acculturative stress affect migrants as they move from one location and culture to another?
Migrants may experience disproportionately higher amounts of stress trying to maintain the culture and behaviors of their original country while also adopting the culture of the country or place they are immigrating to.
List three ways to combat language barriers in mental health.
Include mental health terminology in the educaton of medical interpreters
Create quality translations of mental health documents and resources
Disperse physical and online mental health resources in multiple languages to humanitarian aid groups and border aid groups
List 3 or more factors that affect lack of health insurance.
Answers can include:
Financial cost is too high
Change of employment, loss of employment
Loss of eligibility for Medicaid or other health insurance
"Never have needed" health insurance / refusal
Other and explain why:
Is the death rate by suicide higher in Latinx men or women?
The death rate from suicide for Latinx men was
four times the rate for Latinx women, in 2018
(Office of Minority Health, 2021)
What are cultural resources?
Cultural resources describes the ease which minority groups can access food, music, parties/fiestas, and people from their country of origin.
What is the "migrant paradox"?
The "migrant paradox" describes the increased resilience and better behavioral health of migrants compared to minorities born in the U.S. despite shifts in culture and linguistic changes
True or False: The only requirement for quality interpretations is to be bilingual. Why or why not?
False, quality interpretations made by certified interpreters require mastery of language. Being fluent in both languages is one of the basic requirements; however, the skillset of an interpreter is developed through time, practice, expertise, and mastery of two or more languages. A quality interpretation may require background preparation and very specialized terminology not commonly seen.
Click on the Kaiser Family Foundation graph provided below. Read the graph to list the racial/ethnic groups from highest to lowest percentages of being uninsured.
American Indian/Alaska Native - 22%
Hispanic/Latinx - 20%
Native Hawaiin/Other Pacific Islander - 13%
African American - 11%
White - 8%
Asian - 7%
Complete the quotation:
"In 2018, racial minorities were __% less likely to have received mental health treatment as compared to non-racial minorities (Office of Minority Health,
2021)"
50%
True or False? Men are more likely to seek mental health help than women.
False
What details about rural populations might affect someone's mental health?
In rural areas, there is typically:
Less access to regular and quality care
Less availability of skilled providers
Lower family incomes
Greater social stigma